Barry Ferguson 'absolutely certain' over Tavernier situation at Rangers, he was wrong about him

Rangers captain James Tavernier will play an important role for the rest of the season, according to Barry Ferguson, who admitted he has changed his mind on the defender.

Ferguson, who took charge of the Govan-based club from February until the end of last season, has worked with Tavernier before.

The 34-year-old started in every single one of Ferguson’s 15 games in charge, highlighting the influence he believed the captain had.

This season, while Tavernier has seen plenty of starts, that level of trust has not been the same under Danny Rohl.

Now, ahead of Rangers’ upcoming games, the former Bears midfielder believes Tavernier could play a key role in the Scottish Premiership title race.

What Barry Ferguson has said about Rangers’ James Tavernier

Ferguson has admitted he got the wrong idea about Tavernier, putting his “hands up” over his previous impression of him. The current skipper is often subject to plenty of criticism at Rangers.

However, the former Rangers captain has iterated that his experience managing the 34-year-old opened his eyes, as he now believes Tavernier lives and breathes for the Glasgow outfit.

This season, Tavernier has found himself on the bench more often than he would like, with nine games out of the starting lineup in the Scottish Premiership so far.

As it stands, it would not be a surprise to see that figure increase, but Ferguson feels the Englishman could be key.

Writing for the Daily Record, Ferguson said: “I actually have a feeling that Tav and [John Souttar] will have key roles to play on the pitch between now and the end of the season. In fact, I’m absolutely certain of it.”

Even if the 48-year-old is wrong about the Rangers full-back’s involvement, as captain of the Gers, he will likely be an important voice in the dressing room anyway.

Tavernier did prove against St Mirren he still has plenty to give, and that will surely stick in the mind of Rohl.

Danny Rohl seems to have a lack of trust in James Tavernier

The Englishman has been a core part of the setup in G51 since joining Rangers back in 2015, but his time could be set to end.

Tavernier’s contract is expiring at the end of the season, with the defender looking likely to depart, putting the closing touches on an 11-year spell at Ibrox.

Under Rohl, while he has started a majority of matches, the 34-year-old has also been dropped for the bigger fixtures against Celtic and Hearts.

In Rangers’ last four against Celtic and Hearts, Tavernier was not trusted to start, with the captain having to settle for minutes off the bench.

It is not quite evident why the German has opted to do so, as the Rangers captain has plenty of experience that could have been vital in those big matches.

As the Bears chase league title number 56, it will be interesting to see if Rohl turns to his captain in those important fixtures throughout the league split.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Govan.