James Tavernier has spoken to RangersTV about all things pre-season.
The Gers skipper had been in need of a month off more than most, after a gruelling 2018/19 season.
He showed incredible durability, turning out in 57 of the Gers’ 60 matches in all competitions. The only league game his missed was the trip to Rugby Park on the final day of the season.
Now, he’s raring to go once more, despite the brutal nature of Stevie G’s pre-season.
“I have had a really good break; I have had time to relax and recharge the batteries,”
“The first few days have been good; it feels really good to be back in. It has been a tough couple of days, it is always a shock to the system but that is what we need to be successful this year. We need to be pushed hard and these first couple of days are showing signs of how fit the gaffer wants the team to be.
“Last season was the toughest pre-season I have ever done and I think if you ask quite a few of the other boys they will say the same. I can see this is going to be just as tough. We saw the benefit of it though; you have to be fit for the first Europa game so you know you have to be pushed really hard in a small amount of time.”
Verdict
Tav has been a professional for a decade now. He’s also played under two previous Gers managers in Mark Warburton and Pedro Caixinha.
Therefore, it’s saying something Gerrard puts on the toughest of all pre-seasons.
However, given the manager’s character, it shouldn’t be any great shock. He’s shown himself to be a hard taskmaster since he took over at Ibrox, demanding high standards from his players.
He knows that Rangers must tick every box if they are to get back to the summit of Scottish football. Over a long season, fitness will be key and hard yards now will hopefully pay dividends come to the end of the campaign.
