Former Rangers boss Mark Warburton is claiming that he knows for a “fact” that there are Premier League clubs “watching” Rangers captain James Tavernier.
The marauding Gers full-back has come under fire recently for high-profile mistakes in the matches against Young Boys and Hearts.
It’s led to calls from some fans for Steven Gerrard to drop the wing-back, but Mark Warburton very much suggested they should be careful what they wish for.
“I know for a fact there is a lot of interest in him down here,” said Warburton [Daily Record].
“I hear people talk and I’ve had a lot of phone-calls from managers at other clubs who are asking me about him.
“But this is not a new thing. It’s been going on for a long time now.
“I remember we were playing a game and we knew a top Premier League club was coming to watch him.
“After the game, I was chatting with David Weir and we agreed that Tav hadn’t had the best of games in terms of one-v-one defending.
“Then the guy from the club who was watching him came up to us and said, “He was magnificent!’
“What he saw was an athlete going forward, whipping balls into the box and causing all kinds of trouble for the opponent.
“So a lot of Premier League clubs have been watching him because they know how good he is.
“He’s a very talented boy. Yes, everyone has areas that can be improved but Tav is an outstanding asset and a top-class professional. He deserves nothing but respect.”
It’s a glowing commendation from the man who took Tavernier to Ibrox back in 2015.
Now the club’s captain and a seemingly vital part of how Rangers play, the comments of Warburton are also a timely reminder of how important Tav has been to our side.
A major asset when he’s at the peak of his powers, the full-back has just hit a bit of a rough patch.
Are supporters doing Tavernier a disservice not having the captain’s back more?
