Scott Arfield has honed in on James Tavernier’s form and the Rangers captain’s mentality.
James Tavernier was subbed off in the 67th minute in Rangers’ 2-1 victory in the League Cup semi-final against Motherwell.
Tavernier hasn’t had an ideal start to the season and has struggled to reach the heights of last season as he’s only scored one goal with three assists in all competitions.
The under-fire Ibrox captain has come under some criticism for his below-par performances with many of the fanbase calling for him to be dropped from the team.
A player who has been in the trenches alongside the Englishman is his former teammate Scott Arfield, who shared a dressing room with him for five years and knows him inside out.
What has Scott Arfield said about James Tavernier?
Arfield signed for the Light Blues in 2018 under former boss Steven Gerrard, and during his time playing for his boyhood club – he won the league title in 2021, and a Scottish Cup in 2022.
He alongside Tavernier, scored in the Europa League final penalty shootout loss to Frankfurt before departing the club in 2023 as a free agent.
Speaking on the Premier Sports Scottish Football Social Club, the midfielder defended the right-back and discussed what kind of leader he is.
“He’s never been a vocal captain, I would never put him in that category. Tav has always led in a different way. He said.
“But when you are the captain of that club, you need to front it and are going to get the burden of it.
“His performances have dipped at a crucial time but he will always be available.
“In Glasgow, one team can be winning and one team can be losing which means one captain is going to get it.
“But he has got the temperament and mentality to get back to the James Tavernier that Rangers fell in love with for many years.”
Tavernier is Britain’s highest-scoring defender
Tavernier set a milestone last season after becoming the highest-scoring defender in the United Kingdom.
He scored in a 3-1 victory over Hibernian, which at the time was his 131st senior goal.
The former Wigan Athletic player is now on 134 career goals.
In the 2023/2024 season, he scored an incredible 24 goals with 12 assists in all competitions
Arfield believes if anyone can pick their form up again and reach the heights from previous seasons – it’s Tavernier.
