James Tavernier is a Rangers LEGEND as Scott Arfield jumps to defence of under-fire star
Scott Arfield has told Rangers fans they won't realise how important James Tavernier is until he's gone.
Gers captain Tavernier came under fire in the wake of Celtic's 3-0 Old Firm victory at the start of the month. The defender was heckled by a furious fan outside Ibrox and branded a "loser" after a 24th derby defeat in 38 games. Tavernier was the subject of intense transfer speculation across the summer but opted to stick with the Light Blues in his testimonial season.
And while his long-term future in Govan remains in serious doubt, former teammate Arfield believes Tavernier's incredible goal contributions from right-back will never be seen again.
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Speaking exclusively to Football Scotland on behalf of Sky Bet, Arfield - now at Bolton Wanderers - said: “He’s in the Hall of Fame now and if you look at the names on that list, it’s not an easy thing to get into with the history of that club, so that speaks for itself.. I don’t think we’ll see a right-back with those numbers again, in terms of assists and goals, but also the durability and the amount of games he plays during a season.
“There is an element that when James does eventually move on, it will be one of those where you never realised what you had until it's gone because as a right back, I don’t care who’s going to come in, they’ll never get to the standard of the performances James has had through the 10 years he’s been at the club. He is a Rangers legend, and the Hall of Fame proves that. I got to know him personally and professionally and I couldn’t speak higher of him.”