Scolded Rangers star has taken game to next level in search of title dream

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Rangers captain James Tavernier was awarded Man of the Match as the Ibrox side dumped Livingston 2-0 to stretch their lead at the top of Scottish Premiership to six points in the title race.

But it says something extra special that the level of performance Tavernier put in against the Lions is now becoming routine for Rangers.

The club’s longest-serving player has felt every inch of the pain of the Rangers support ever since he joined in 2015 but despite many failures, has always stood out above the rest of his teammates.

Now the club captain, Tavernier has taken his game to the next level this season as his already astonishing consistency reaches a standard which we all hope will deliver silverware.

Tavernier’s record at Rangers – minus the lack of trophy wins – makes for pretty astonishing reading.

Since Mark Warburton signed the athletic full-back alongside Martyn Waghorn for a fee of around £250k over five years ago, the ex-Newcastle full-back has made 259 appearances.

In those matches, Tavernier has scored 55 goals and laid on 80 assists from right-back and not once been sent off [Transfermarkt].

This season, the Ibrox skipper has cut an even more determined figure than usual, the 28-year-old more mature, more focused and more lethal than ever.

Tav’s the club’s top scorer this season with nine goals and has also contributed six assists. Only Ianis Hagi (8) has more.

There’s an added edge to James Tavernier’s game with the marauding right-back involved in every single match, at both ends of the pitch, never hiding, always there.

If James Tavernier can get his hands on silverware this season – namely our 55^th title – it’ll be hard to argue against the suggestion he is at the very least on his way to becoming a club legend.

Our captain will be judged on what happens come May and there’s no sense being premature in October.

But in James Tavernier, we’ve got a robust, athletic, technically sound player with the bit between his teeth and a determination to go for gold this season above all others.