Rangers captain James Tavernier attracted bids in the summer from English club West Bromwich Albion, but the Gers were able to keep hold of their right back. To combat further interests, Steven Gerrard decided to offer a new improved contract to the fullback and the player has now accepted the new deal. The contract has extended his stay for one extra year which would keep Tavernier at Ibrox until 2022.
The fullback recently commented about the new contract and said,”I am delighted to go through the window and still be a Rangers player, and I have obviously been rewarded with a new contract. So I am absolutely buzzing with that and it is thanks to the club and my representatives for pulling it over the line.”
”I’ve always seen this as the place for me to play football. Rangers have always been great for giving me the foundation to start playing again and to start my career over again, and I will always hold that closely. There was a bit of interest in the summer, but I was fully focused on working with the gaffer in this new campaign and being captain as well.”- he added further.
Tavernier remains the first choice right back even though Gerrard brought in reinforcement in that department. Gerrard has preferred Tavernier over former Liverpool fullback Jon Flanagan and that goes to show that the gaffer has put in a lot of trust in his captain.
The 26-year-old is in the prime of his career and he forms a crucial cog in the first team at the moment. Mark Warburton signed Tavernier in 2015 and he has slowly gone up the ladder in the side by becoming the captain.
The former Newcastle United player would have been tempted to move to England and it was imperative for the club to tie him down with a new deal. Tavernier a is typical modern day full-back as he always likes to move forward and provide an attacking outlet to the team. So much so that sometimes he is guilty of being caught out of position in defence. However, that is the risk every fullback takes nowadays. Tavernier is also adept at playing in an advanced position as there have been plenty of times when he has filled in the right midfielder’s role.
Gerrard would be expecting a big season from his captain and so far he has done a good job from the right side of the defence. Given that he is just 26 and the captain, Tavernier can go on to become one of the legends at Ibrox if he stays on with the club and helps them in dismantling Celtic’s domination in Scottish football.
