James Tavernier has been handed the captain’s armband by new Rangers manager Steven Gerrard but can he lead the Gers to the Scottish Premiership title?
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has put his full backing in James Tavernier to lead the club forward, after handing the right-back the captain’s armband ahead of the new season.
“I’m delighted with him. Not just the performances, but the character, the man and the leader,” Gerrard said in quotes reported by the Evening Times.
And it seems that the Rangers fans share Gerrard’s faith in the former Newcastle United youngster.
It seems a long time since Tavernier was a much maligned figure among some sections of the Gers support; a player derided for a perceived lack of defensive awareness and penchant for silly mistakes.
Now, the 26-year-old is pretty much the first name on the team sheet. He made great strides in 2017/18, donning the armband on occasions under Graeme Murty while scoring and assisting 18 goals in all competitions from right-back.
And it seems that there is no more popular figure to lead out Rangers next season.
It will be a very tall order for the Glasgow giants to stop their Old Firm rivals Celtic from winning an eighth title in succession. But if every player in Gerrard’s squad performs with Tavernier’s consistency and quality, anything is possible.
But remember Tav; never say you are happy with a point…
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