The entire Rangers side deserve the plaudits for an outstanding 8-0 victory over Hamilton Academical but it’s Gers captain James Tavernier who earns special praise.
The Rangers skipper came under fire for comments he made in the matchday programme the last time the Gers played Brian Rice’s side at Ibrox.
Following a 1-0 defeat back in March, the Rangers star was hounded by the support for publicly bringing the side’s mentality into question pre-match.
It’s something which has been poured over incessantly since with the likes of manager Steven Gerrard and ex-teammate Andy Halliday both backing the flying full-back in recent months.
Scoring a double against Hamilton will have gone some ways to exorcising the demons of the fall-out from March but Tavernier offers so much more than goals.
The 29-year-old’s athleticism is remarkable and he has emerged as the club’s leading player in the last few months, setting the tempo and driving the rhythm of the team.
Tavernier has a consistency which many – in any sport or walk or life – will struggle to match and once again whipped those crosses in time and again causing havoc in the Hamilton box.
Tavernier was directly involved in setting up Kemar Roofe for Rangers’ second with a delicious cross into the box being met by the leaping forward.
The right-back also whipped it beautifully across the face for Roofe to control and lay off Joe Aribo for the side’s fourth.
The full-back has also been a mainstay in a defence which has conceded three league goals all season.
Tavernier’s all-action style is the personification of the football Rangers play and he earned the acclaim of grateful supporters as he topped the Scottish Premiership’s scoring charts:
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Tavernier has now scored eight goals in the Scottish top tier, the same amount as Aberdeen’s Lewis Ferguson but the full-back finds himself top courtesy of the six assists he has also laid on for his side [BBC Sport].
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has challenged his captain to go on and lift silverware to prove he is worthy of the captaincy at Ibrox.
