Reports have constantly been surrounding Rangers FC over a possible departure of James Tavernier from the Ibrox this summer. The 26-year-old was pegged to be on his way over to Swansea City to pen down a permanent deal. However, even after the arrival of Jon Flanagan on a 2-year deal, it seems like the fullback has no intention of quitting the Gers any time soon.
When asked about his probable exit, Tavernier said, “He (Gerrard) spoke to me offseason. We had a conversation and that was a surreal moment as I got a message from a number I didn’t recognise. I thought ‘who’s this?’, the message said Steven Gerrard. That was a surreal moment and I still have the message saved.”
“We spoke about where he wanted to take the club and his vision and I’m on board. I have always said I have unfinished business here. I signed a new contract six months ago. I knew the club were searching for a new manager.”
“You never want to get complacent in your football. You want pushed and to push each other. That’s the standard we have now. The gaffer is always pushing you. It’s great to have Jon in, he has played a lot of games and it will be good competition.”
This should come as a huge sigh of relief for the Gers faithful who were not exactly prepared to lose their captain just yet. Even if it was not finalised, a transfer was certainly on the cards which prompted Steven Gerrard to sign his ex-Liverpool teammate.
It cannot be said for certain that Flanagan would have the same impact on the pitch for Rangers as Tavernier does, but he surely will add competition to the position. Tavernier is a proven talent in the Scottish top-flight and has over 140 games under his belt for Rangers. He just recently signed a contract extension with the Light Blues which at that point ended transfer talks.
The Scotsman has been prolific for the Gers last season, scoring 9 and assisting 9 in his 46 total appearances. Tavernier has spent his early years at England with teams like Newcastle United, Wigan Athletic, Bristol City, MK Dons and Sheffield Wednesday.
He was given the captain’s armband when Kenny Miller and Lee Wallace was suspended from the club grounds in April. The fullback has always been consistent on the pitch for the club and has ambitions of winning the league title over Celtic in the future.
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With Gerrard taking over the reigns at Ibrox, Rangers are set for a new era with hopes of toppling the Hoops’ dominance in the Scottish top-flight. The English boss will need his best players to remain with the side to make his transition easier and to better implement his tactics.
