Steven Gerrard has raved about the work ethic and mental toughness of Rangers skipper James Tavernier [Herald].
Tavernier recently signed a contract extension with the Gers, which will take him through to the end of the 2023/24 season.
The extension came as an outstanding campaign for the Englishman both as a captain and an individual nears an end.
He led the Gers to a first top-flight title in ten years, while he’s scored 17 goals, notched 15 assists and has contributed to a plethora of clean sheets.
Tavernier’s attacking stats have always been strong but he’s faced severe criticism from sections of supporters for perceived defensive weaknesses ever since his arrival from Wigan Athletic in 2015, while the decision to hand him the armband has come under frequent scrutiny.
The right-back has silenced those critics this season, though, and his manager can’t speak highly enough about how he’s carried himself.
“When you play for a top club you have to be prepared to soak a bit of criticism up,” said Gerrard [Herald]. “That’s more so in this day and age with all the social media platforms and the amount of people that cover the games. I know from experience it’s not all pats on the back and praise.”
“But I’ll tell you something, you can never question his mentality or character. He’s soaked up more than most. But he’s tried to improve, he’s put that hard work in.
“I see it on a daily basis and people need to understand it’s not just about the 90-minute performance. It’s what you put in in terms of your application and how you get yourself ready. James is an example to everyone at the club in that regard.”
Tavernier has been an outstanding servant to Rangers across the past six years, racking up a whopping 284 appearances in that time.
It’s a fantastic early piece of business from the club to tie him down for the next few seasons and he’ll be looking to win much more silverware before this latest deal is up.
The 29-year-old has been out of action since mid-February due to a knee injury but is expected to return before the end of the month.
Meanwhile, one of Tavernier’s teammates has been spotted back in training following an injury as he eyes a comeback against Hibernian.
