James Tavernier rejects Rangers critics who say he’s past it as captain points to numbers that REALLY matter
Age might just be a number but James Tavernier would rather look at the stats that show he’s as fit as ever.
At 33, the Rangers skipper is entering the twilight of his career. But he’s adamant the figures he’s producing on the pitch show his physical output remains at the same lofty levels he’d hit when he was at his peak. Performance-wise, it’s hard to make the same case for the right-back.
His form has dropped this season and he’s no-longer the ever-present figure he once was at Ibrox. Boss Philippe Clement has decided that giving the veteran defender some extra time off is the best way to keep him fresher for longer.
READ MORE: Rangers raid Aberdeen for key appointment as one of the best in the business heads to Ibrox
That theory was vindicated on Sunday as Tavernier - benched for last week’s clashes with Dundee United and Nice - returned reinvigorated to Clement’s line-up to play a leader’s role in the 1-0 win over St Johnstone.
The Ibrox captain might not agree with being left out but he’s determined to figure as much as possible. "I don't see the age being a problem,” said Tavernier, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on Halloween. “Three months ago I think I missed one game.
"So nothing's really changed. OK, I've gone up one number in my age but I still feel fitter than ever and able to play every single game. So [sitting on the bench] is obviously different, unusual, but it's down to me to be really professional and keep working really hard, and try to be a leader behind the scenes at the training ground.
“I need to really push the boys on. Anyone who's asked to put on the shirt on the starting XI has got to perform. So, yeah, it's obviously different.
"I'm used to playing, three games a week, that's what I really love to do. It's what I've been used to for so many years.
"The stats and the numbers I put in are still right up there. So, it's just about me continuing to work hard. And when asked to play, then deliver a performance. Obviously, you want to be playing every single game. That's just in my nature. But you've got to be professional and really help the team if you're not. And when asked to play, you've got to obviously make an impact."
With problems off the pitch at Ibrox piling up on top of a heap of points spilled on it, Rangers hasn’t exactly been the happiest of work environments of late. At times, Tavernier has worn his own gloominess on his face.
Those solemn expressions, combined with swirling summer rumours of a move to Turkey and the Middle East, have led some to conclude that he’s no longer as fully committed to the Ibrox cause as he once was.
But the Englishman insists that rather than trying to read his mind, his critics should cast an eye over his stat sheets. "What I have done over the years, I've kept on asking questions, kept on striving to be better, to keep putting in the numbers - and I’m still trying to do that,” he insisted. "I'm hungrier than ever. Every season that comes. I'm always hungry to outdo myself. So I'll always continue to push myself as much as possible to better myself.”
Talking of numbers, Tavernier is closing in on completing a 10th campaign at the club. Asked if he hoped to be rewarded with a testimonial for his lengthy service, he said: "I've got another season after this [on my contract], so still more time. If I complete this season then obviously, that's on the cards and it's very unusual these days for testimonials and players being at clubs for so long. We will just have to wait and see."
Having hit a career-best tally of 24 goals last season, Clement would have been hoping to see Britain’s highest-ever scoring defender continue his lethal form this term as he overhauled the Ibrox line-up.
But with Tavernier’s goals drying up, it’s no coincidence that Gers have struggled in the final third this term, being outscored by not just the top two of Celtic and Aberdeen, but also Dundee, Dundee United and St Mirren.
For too long, Rangers have relied on their free-scoring right-back to bail them out of trouble. He may not have got the credit on Sunday but it was the pressure he applied at the back post which forced former Ibrox team-mate Jason Holt to bundle home into his own net for the only goal in Perth.
He said: ”Yeah, I was obviously attacking. I think Holty got in front of me a couple of times. But obviously one of my strengths is arriving in the box and if the boys are putting the balls in the box, then I'll try and get on the end of them.
“The three points were big, It’s obviously important, especially after the European game, that we have a really good result and performance. And it's obviously key to come back and to domestic football and get the result that we needed and get performance that was required. And obviously a clean sheet, so obviously that helps.”
Tavernier wasn’t the only man restored to Clement’s line-up at the weekend. Ianis Hagi started his first Gers game since the final day of the 2022/23 campaign at McDiarmid and Tavernier.
It’s been a long way back for the Romanian after having his Ibrox career disrupted by a devastating knee injury but his skipper said: “It’s credit to himself. He's been really professional, been working really hard behind the scenes, at the training grounds. He got the reward to start on Sunday and really made an impact on the team. So I'm really delighted for him. He’ll be a big asset for us.”
