On Monday, in his capacity as Rangers skipper, James Tavernier attended the official launch of the SPL season.
After speculation earlier in the window of interest from multiple big English clubs [Daily Mail], some may have feared that by the time this event came round, it would be Tav’s replacement in attendance.
His comments on the day, though, suggest that not only is he staying put, but that he and his teammates are raring to go. That should be cause for considerable excitement for Bears.
“I’m really excited to see what this season can bring,” said Tavernier, as quoted by Football Scotland. “Pre-season has been really positive – we’ve conceded one goal throughout it all. So I’m really looking forward to it.”
“I think we’re a lot better. The new lads who have come in have really added strength and depth to the squad so the gaffer’s got a lot of selection headaches.”
Rangers captain Tavernier ready to lead league charge
Before this summer window opened, one of Steven Gerrard’s biggest priorities was surely to keep hold of Tav.
With 14 goals and 14 assists in the league last season, his influence was simply massive. There’s still time left in the window, but after these comments on his own excitement for the coming SPL season, it looks as though he’ll be going nowhere.
Perhaps that’s because he feels the club’s ambition matches his own. The Gers have been efficient in the transfer window and as a result, he’s predicting big things to come.
Let’s hope this competition for places does raise standards across the squad. If they can add consistency on top of the positive glimpses from last season, the club’s supporters could really be in for a treat.
