The Rangers manager has been undertaking something of a revolution at Ibrox this season. His captain, James Tavernier has proved a huge asset during this process.
The 27-year-old joined the club from Wigan Athletic in 2015, and has since played under several managers.
With those bosses came uncertainty and difficult times, but his consistency and loyalty were rewarded when Gerrard arrived. Tavernier was given the honour of club captain at the start of the season and has done an excellent job.
He is not an overly imposing or aggressive figure, but Gerrard knows a good captain when he sees one. Tav leads by example, week in week out, and clearly has a lot of passion for the shirt.
He has also stepped up his game as a provider this season. The team have been without a forward-thinking option at left-back since Borna Barisic’s injury, so there is extra focus on the quality of Tav’s delivery from the right.
He has developed a fantastic relationship with Alfredo Morelos and provided eight assists so far this year. On top of that, he is deadly from the penalty spot. So much so, that he is second on the Gers’ scoring charts with nine in all competitions.
Tav has been the perfect ally for Gerrard so far. He clearly helps to drive standards, while also producing match-defining moments on the pitch.
Long may it continue.
