Kris Boyd responds to the James Tavernier Rangers captaincy dilemma

JAMES TAVERNIER entered Rangers’ Hall of Fame in 2023.

After the Old Firm defeat two weeks ago, plenty of fed-up fans wanted him consigned to the Hall of Shame.

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But I don’t agree with the supporters who believe Tavernier should now lose the captaincy.

For me, that would have a negative impact on the Ibrox squad, not a positive one.

Listen, I understand the criticism of Tavernier’s performances this season. I’ve been vocal on it myself.

After the Celtic game, I spoke about his poor defending at Daizen Maeda’s goal and highlighted him being slow to get back into position after Rangers lost possession.

Yet anybody who thinks the team’s problems would all be instantly cured by changing the captain is wrong.

Trust me, if Philippe Clement thought Rangers’ results would automatically improve by taking the armband off Tavernier, he would do it.

The Belgian keeps talking about a project. He keeps telling us that this is the start of a new story for the team.

In that case, this summer would have been the ideal time to name a new captain — but he stuck with Tavernier. That tells me two things.

Clement values the right-back’s contribution — and he doesn’t see a natural replacement.

I agree that Tavernier is probably entering the final months of his Rangers career after nine years and coming up on 500 games.

But Clement has already said pretty much everyone is up for sale at the right price.

Say, for talking’s sake, you strip Tavernier of the armband and give it to Jack Butland.

What happens if a decent bid comes in for the keeper in January? He’ll be off and Clement is back to square one.

Tavernier is the captain and it should remain that way. There’s no point in stripping him of it.

Making a change would do more harm than good.

It would embarrass the player and you then have no guarantee how he would react.

That would leave Clement in a tricky position as he remains Rangers’ best right-back and he needs him right now.

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Yes, Tavernier has his flaws — as we all saw against Celtic — but who would you play there instead?

Dujon Sterling has too many fitness problems to be classed as a reliable replacement during a hectic schedule.

Neraysho Kasanwirjo has just arrived from Feyenoord but he’s not tried and tested and it would be unfair to ask him to step in.

Tavernier hasn’t had a good start to the season but you still imagine he will contribute decent numbers in terms of goals and assists for Rangers as the campaign goes on.

We tend to be obsessed with the armband in Scotland and there is no doubt it’s a heavy burden on players.

But these days, the responsibility tends to be shared out among a host of senior players.

He is the captain but every club now has a so-called ‘leadership group’ and I don’t imagine he’s as dominant in the dressing room as a

Richard Gough or Barry Ferguson in their day. Tavernier has experienced more ups and downs than most captains at Ibrox.

He led the team as they stopped Celtic’s ten-in-a-row bid and then reached the Europa League final.

Tavernier’s career to date

• Player Profile: James Tavernier, born on 31 October 1991, is an English professional footballer.
• Current Club: He plays as a right-back for Scottish Premiership club Rangers and is the club captain.
• Early Career: Tavernier began his career at the Leeds United Academy before moving to Newcastle United.
• Loan Spells: At Newcastle, he spent most of his time on loan to six lower-level clubs.
• Rotherham Success: He won the League One playoffs with Rotherham United while on loan.
• Struggles at Wigan: In 2014, he signed for Wigan Athletic but only made 13 appearances and left a year later.
• Bristol City Loan: Tavernier spent the second half of his Wigan season on loan at Bristol City, helping them win League One.
• Joining Rangers: He signed for Rangers in 2015, scoring the goal that won them the Scottish Championship in his first season.
• Becoming Captain: Tavernier was named Rangers’ club captain at the start of the 2018–19 season.
• Scottish Premiership Victory: He led Rangers to win the Scottish Premiership in 2021 and the Scottish Cup in the following season.
• Europa League Achievement: Tavernier was the top scorer as Rangers finished runners-up in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa League.
• Club Contributions: He has made over 400 appearances for Rangers, scoring over 120 goals.
• Individual Accolades: He was PFA Scotland Players’ Player of the Year in 2021.
• Hall of Fame Induction: Tavernier was inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame in 2023.
• Record-Breaking Defender: In March 2024, he became the highest-scoring defender in British professional football history.
• Loan Journeys: Tavernier’s early career included multiple loan spells at clubs like Gateshead, Carlisle United, Sheffield Wednesday, MK Dons, and Shrewsbury Town.
• Promotion with Rotherham: He played a crucial role in Rotherham United’s promotion to the Championship.
• Contract Extensions: At Rangers, he signed a contract extension in 2016 after initial negotiations. He is now contracted at the club until the summer of 2026 following his most recent extension n 2022.
• European Goals: Tavernier scored crucial goals in European competitions, including against Borussia Dortmund and Braga.
• Family and Heritage: His younger brother, Marcus Tavernier, is also a professional footballer, and James is of Jamaican descent through his mother.

He became a Hall of Fame member for those achievements and his incredible 100-plus goal tally from right-back.

Yet for some fans, he’ll always be the fall guy for Celtic’s period of dominance, an nine-year era which has seen then win 20 trophies to Gers’ three — and that’s unfair.

When I see Celtic players from the 1990s being idolised at club events, I always think back to the stick they must have taken when Rangers won title after title.

It’s strange that conveniently all gets forgotten, isn’t it?
Tavernier has shown character to bounce back from real lows before and needs to do it again.

Clement has backed him to win back “the love” of the Rangers support and tomorrow at Tannadice would be a good place to start.

This won’t be a straightforward task for them. In fact, Dundee United are one of the last teams I would want to face right now.

Aside from Parkhead and Pittodrie, Tannadice is the toughest venue Rangers could go to at this moment and there is no margin for error.

Jim Goodwin has assembled a good squad who won’t give Clement’s side a single second on the ball.

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Defeat is unthinkable for Rangers. They could be eight points behind Celtic and Aberdeen by kick off.

If there is to be a title race, then three points at Tannadice is a must.

But maybe there are people around the club who are starting to accept being second and I can’t have that.

No matter how big the financial gap is to Celtic, Rangers must strive to be on top.

I think back to chairman John Bennett’s statement about the club being “best in class” in every area.

Then I look at the fact they still haven’t appointed a chief executive and wonder what’s going on.

St Mirren vice-chairman Jim Gillespie is a lifelong fan but opted to pull out of the running for the job at the last minute.

That would be a worry for me and in so many areas, Rangers need to up their game.

My old club badly needs a leader off the pitch, but on it they should stick with the one they have.

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