Ibrox View: Tavernier is Rangers hero but leaves behind complicated legacy

James Tavernier holds a winner’s mentality, alright.

Never one to give an inch, even when taking on his son on the PlayStation, he has played his part in helping to reignite Rangers‘ unlikely Premiership title charge. As captain, he helped a sinking ship rapidly taking on water to reverse course, sending it back toward the summit.

It would be fitting, then, if he could lead the Light Blues to one more trophy before heading off into the sunset, having announced he will leave at the end of the season.

Since arriving at Ibrox as a fresh-faced 23-year-old back in 2015, Tavernier has seen and done it all. This campaign, that wisdom has allowed him to help encourage and corral his younger team-mates, even if he hasn’t played as much as he would have wanted.

Tavernier’s imminent Rangers departure brings a glittering era to an end, but he will walk away with a tinge of disappointment and a mixed reputation among supporters.

James Tavernier should have won more at Rangers

It was a measure of the man that Tavernier announced he would leave Rangers in an emotional 454-word statement. While he is unlikely to have arrived at the decision easily, he will also have known that it was time. The ever-ticking clock waits for no one, after all.

Renowned for his marauding performances at right-back, the now 34-year-old has scored a staggering 144 goals in his 562 Gers matches to date. More could be on the way, too.

Bought in a cut-price deal from Wigan Athletic, it didn’t take long for Tavernier to cement himself as a stalwart. His reward came in 2018, when he was handed the captaincy. It also shouldn’t be forgotten that he is the top-scoring defender in British football history.

However, despite his 11 years of distinguished service, he has divided opinion.

His eulogy will indeed be slightly muddled. Since joining the club, Tavernier has competed for 30 major trophies. Out of those, he has gone on to win just three. While the Premiership this season would bulk out that tally, it still isn’t enough. At Rangers, success is king.

Ahead of the 2019 League Cup final, Chris Sutton threw a dagger his way, declaring him a “serial loser”. While bitterly harsh, the criticism was somewhat correct.

Celtic’s sheer dominance over the past decade must be taken into consideration, but Tavernier will have wanted to do more to prevent it. Too often, Rangers have been passengers to their arch rivals’ success, helplessly watching on from across the divide.

Damningly, no player in the club’s history has lost more Old Firm matches, too.

But on the other hand, Tavernier has dragged Rangers out of the mire on numerous occasions, often singlehandedly. While countless Gers managers have been caught up in the churn of the modern game, the veteran has been a trustworthy and ever-present bastion.

He is cut from a different cloth than most players. There aren’t many in world football that can profess to such loyalty, especially during such bitterly dark times.

Still, he remains an Ibrox anomaly. Those who watch him regularly either believe he is brilliant, saluting him for his outrageous attacking statistics, or defensively flawed. These shortcomings have cost Rangers all too often in games, including this season.

That, though, has not stopped him from being a mainstay under every manager.

He was appointed captain by Steven Gerrard and went on to lead Rangers to the league title in 2021 – their first in a decade. Tavernier also wore the armband for the Light Blues’ run to the Europa League final in 2022, becoming the competition’s top scorer with seven goals.

There has also been success in the Scottish Cup and League Cup. In fact, it was his goal that settled the final against Aberdeen in the latter competition in 2023.

But everything good eventually comes to an end. That much was proven after Danny Rohl opted to crown Dujon Sterling as his first-choice right-back, demoting Tavernier to the bench. This reduction in minutes likely led the talisman to decide to pursue a new challenge.

What could Tavernier do next?

Tavernier has no plans to call time on his career just yet. That could potentially see him seal a move to Saudi Arabia, a lucrative destination for a host of players, this summer.

Greek club Panathinaikois wanted Tavernier back in January, and it would be no surprise if they were to approach again, especially now that he will become a free agent.

Besiktas in Turkey were also linked in recent years.

First, though, he will look to taste Premiership glory one final time before bidding farewell to Ibrox. “This isn’t the end just yet,” he told Rangers supporters in his statement. “There is still a season to finish and we are fully focused on pushing for the league title.

“I will continue to give absolutely everything, as I always have until the very last day. While I feel the time is right for a new challenge, my focus right now is on finishing this season the right way, together.” A loyal servant to the last.

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