As Rangers defender Nathan Patterson switches Ibrox for Everton and Goodison Park, the “club record fee” pays a huge compliment to the often criminally underrated James Tavernier.
Premier League Everton – a top half side playing below their potential with European ambitions and an elite manager in Rafa Benitez – will reportedly pay up to £16m for Rangers’ back-up right-back.
It’s telling that this deal – for Rangers’ brightest Academy talent in a generation by some margin – comes with Nathan Patterson unable to break into the Ibrox side consistently.
Of course, the entire thing is caveated with the fact that Nathan Patterson is ten years the junior of Rangers captain James Tavernier and that the 20-year-old’s potential is essentially limitless.
But the fact still remains; no-one can budge Rangers’ right-back king.
Rangers captain James Tavernier kept Everton star Nathan Patterson out of side
The flying wing-back may not have his entire career ahead of him – nor may he scale the heights Nathan Patterson could do in his career – but Tavernier’s contribution to Rangers is monumental.
Now in his seventh season at Ibrox, the captain’s consistency has been immeasurable at times, his contribution in goals, assists and influence almost freakish for a right back.
As Rangers paused for the winter break, James Tavernier has made 317 Rangers appearances, netting 69 goals and laying on 103 assists. He’s also the club’s longest continuously serving player.
The biggest compliment that can be paid to the Rangers skipper is the reported fee for Patterson, evidence of the ability of the man who kept Nathan out of the team despite the Scotland international’s burgeoning talent.
Rangers captain James Tavernier will be seen as an Ibrox legend
Rangers indeed had a special youngster in Nathan Patterson but in James Tavernier the club has a special player and – despite the often bumpy trajectory of his Ibrox career – a special Ranger.
There is no player in the post-2012 era – Lee Wallace’s sacrifice aside – who reaches into that legendary category but James Tavernier is a few more Premiership titles away from doing so.
A place in the Rangers Hall of Fame and in the club’s history books beckons for the right-back who – athletic in stature and determined in mind – has plenty of gas in the tank yet even at 30.
Rangers’ adapted style under Giovanni van Bronckhorst – with wing-backs playing a less dominant role on the pitch – could also play into Tav’s hands as the clock winds down on his career.
It’s been said a lot this week that the Nathan Patterson to Everton deal is good for Rangers, the Toffees and the player.
But the reason for this is because Rangers have the single best wing-back in the country dominating the right-hand side of pitches across Scotland – and who will do so for some years to come yet.
Speaking of the Nathan Patterson deal, one leading Ibrox club insider has claimed that in the summer Everton initially tried to lowball the Gers for the right-back.
