- James Tavernier has announced he is leaving Rangers at the end of the season
- The captain been at the club since leaving Wigan in 2015
- In his time, he’s created some of the best moments in Rangers’ history
Rangers captain James Tavernier has confirmed he is leaving the club at the end of the season.
The Gers captain, who signed from Wigan Athletic in 2015, released a statement on his Instagram page.
In a 454-word statement, Tavernier said, “After a lot of thought, I’ve made the decision that this will be my final season at the club.”
“This club has been a huge part of my life, and my family‘s, over the past 11 years.”
“To have had the honour of being made captain of this club since 2018 is something I will always be incredibly proud of.”
“We’ve shared the highs and the lows together and some truly incredible moments along the way.”
After announcing that he will leave, let’s reflect on three of his greatest achievements in a Gers jersey so far.
Leading “The 55”: Ending the long wait
Appointed by Steven Gerrard, Tavernier was the captain behind leading Rangers to title number 55 in 2021.
The title was extremely significant, ending Celtic’s hope of securing ten Premiership titles in a row.
He wasn’t just an innocent bystander in the achievement, as he was the Rangers’ shining star throughout.
He contributed 12 goals and 10 assists in that league campaign alone, winning the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award.
The season was evermore incredible, having been the captain who led the Gers to an invincible campaign.
He was the bridge between the dark days in the lower league and the rise back to the top.
Europa League top scorer in 2022
One of the most surreal stats in modern European football: James Tavernier finished as the Top Scorer of the 2021/22 UEFA Europa League.
He was the driving factor behind Rangers’ historic run to the Europa League final in Seville.
Tavernier netted seven goals in the campaign, netting crucial goals against Borussia Dortmund, Braga, and RB Leipzig.
He outscored world-class strikers like Christopher Nkunku and Ciro Immobile.
The fullback became the first defender to be the top scorer in a major UEFA competition since Ronald Koeman.
Tavernier is Britain’s greatest-ever scoring defender.
In early 2024, Tavernier officially surpassed Graham Alexander to become the highest-scoring defender in British football history.
He scored 153 senior goals in his career, with 144 coming for Rangers.
Tavernier reached a remarkable 100 goals for the club in the 2022/23 season, earning an induction into the club’s Hall of Fame.
In the 2023/24 season, Tavernier had his best goal return, netting a remarkable 24 in all competitions.
He overtook Graham Alexander in March 2024 to become the highest-scoring British defender of all time with 131 goals.
In January 2026, he reached 100 league goals for the club.
His goals have been crucial to completing the domestic trophy set as captain and winning the Championship and Challenge Cup.
Read Rangers analysis
James Tavernier has loyalty beyond his years in football, giving his best for Rangers for over 10 years at the club.
He’s made 560 appearances and been the only player to go from the dark days to back on top in Scotland.
His goal-scoring exploits domestically and in Europe have created some of the greatest memories in Rangers’ history.
His announcement has to be a catalyst for the Gers to go on and win title 56 for his own legacy at Ibrox.
