Rangers captain James Tavernier has been a key player in some of their biggest successes but is he the best captain in recent times?
Going into his ninth season at Rangers, James Tavernier has been a record-breaker for the club. He is the highest-scoring British defender, a Rangers ‘Hall of Fame’ member and the 2021/22 Europa League top scorer. He’s witnessed many managers come and go during his time at Rangers.
Succeeding Lee Wallace in 2018, this will be the captain’s sixth season as Ranger’s leading man. With over 400 appearances, he has become a valued player at the club but has predictably faced some scrutiny. Many fans have described the Ranger’s captain by using some … interesting … words in recent times. Almost 10 years at the club winning only 3 trophies? It’s questionable to think he could be the best captain at this time but in a reality, he is.
Coming from Wigan in 2015, he was bought during a harsh time in the club’s history. Nevertheless, he proved himself as a vital player for the club and became captain in mid-2018 – only three years following. Tavernier helped to put a stop to ten-in-a-row for Celtic alongside then manager and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. 2021 was a bittersweet win for Rangers as they couldn’t celebrate with the fans due to Covid-19. The next season Rangers flew under the radar in Europe, going up against clubs like Dortmund and Leipzig, but were able to pull off a great European run getting to the Europa League final which they unfortunately lost, but in the same week won the Scottish Cup for the first time in over 10 years.
James Tavernier surpassed his potential but nevertheless showed his love for the club. Under current manager Philippe Clement he has fallen off a bit but showed loyalty to his manager and players – former and current have shown a massive respect for him.
Playing against the likes of Jude Bellingham and Dominik Szoboszlai, he has shown great resilience and determination. Great qualities of a captain but under all this scrutiny, he’s become a candidate for intense name-calling by fans, especially after lost games which can be bad for the whole team.
Last year, the fans wanted him to step down as captain and Jack Butland to be the new leading man with it being his first season. Luckily, the idea was quickly thrown out the window with the League Cup win in December which Tavernier scored to seal it for rangers.
He has shown to be very fun and vibrant through some of the videos posted on social media. His supportive personality can also be seen in the comments section of his teammate’s posts.
Tavernier is now the highest-scoring defender in British history with over 130 goals – most of which coming from his time at Rangers. His goal-scoring ability is something which isn’t common for someone who is primarily a defender.
It is unclear whether after his contract is up next year he will be at Rangers again but there is one thing for certain, James Tavernier is an incredible captain and has proved it to the thousands of fans. He’s been with Rangers at its worst and best, yet he has never left. He’s been the glue that holds the team together for the last nine years and is currently been at Rangers the longest compared to his teammates. It takes a lot of determination to stay at a club for this long but most importantly – a love for the club – and it is evident he loves Rangers.
Nine years is a long time, but James Tavernier has made his mark at Rangers. He came to the club very young and has grown as a player, so to answer the question: is James Tavernier the best captain we have seen recently? Yes, he is.
He’s a standout player. When he’s on the ball he impacts the game and how it’s played. Years from now people who doubted him will miss him being at Rangers, but for now, we can enjoy him playing in Ibrox Stadium and celebrating when he scores cause as many people have said “nothing lasts forever”.
