The future of Rangers captain James Tavernier has been the dominant story of the international break.
The Gers skipper was subjected to unacceptable abuse from a frustrated supporter outside Ibrox following the club’s painful 3-0 defeat to Old Firm rivals Celtic.
There was potentially set to be a knock-on affect to all this as well, as Rangers braced for interest from the Middle East and Turkey ahead of transfer windows closing in these regions.
But with the Turkish window set to slam shut this coming Friday, there’s been some good news on the James Tavernier front depending on what side you come down on in the debate.
James Tavernier ‘dedicated’ to Rangers cause
It had been claimed earlier in the week that ‘clubs had been alerted’ to the situation with James Tavernier at Rangers.
HITC transfer expert Graeme Bailey also told Rangers News that that Tavernier ‘could be available’ despite the Scottish transfer window closing at the end of August.
Reports coming out of Turkey then claimed that ex-Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst was interested in bringing his former Ibrox captain Tavernier to Besiktas.
That interest from out East is believed to be legitimate but now Rangers News has learned that James Tavernier will be going nowhere.
The Ibrox captain has decided to stay and put his focus into Philippe Clement’s project at Rangers with any deadline-busting interest in the skipper now set to cool.
Graeme Bailey has once again been talking to Rangers News and confirmed that the Rangers captain is ready to put the vehement reaction behind him and focus on the team he loves.
“I am told that Tavernier has had a lot to think about, but he loves Rangers, he is dedicated to the cause,” said Bailey. “He never wanted to leave and he does not think the time is right.
“He knows the criticism levelled at him and his team-mates and whilst some has been over-the-top he knows that is a minority.
“He has made it clear that he is ready to focus on Rangers.”
Ibrox fans must back Rangers captain
The murmurs around James Tavernier certainly polarised Rangers fans who are eager to see a return to winning football at the earliest possible convenience.
The Gers are currently fighting back against years of corporate and footballing mismanagement with Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen rebuilding the squad on a shoestring budget.
Out have gone influential players in the shape of Borna Barisic, Connor Goldson, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack and Kemar Roofe and in have come more youthful, inexperienced options.
James Tavernier has survived the Ibrox cull and in his 10th season at Rangers, the 32-year-old stands out as the club’s undisputed leader.
There was a feeling that Tavernier’s exit at this juncture would do more harm than good with the right-back’s status as club captain making him an easy scapegoat for fans.
At the same time, Tavernier hasn’t been performing at the levels normally expected following a pre-season injury and the pressure is rising at Ibrox.
Write the Rangers captain off at your peril, with Tavernier’s longevity at Ibrox testament to the free-scoring right-back’s ability to bounce back in the face of disappointment.
With Tavernier now throwing his support behind Rangers, it’s time for the Ibrox fans to throw their support behind the captain.
