- Rangers Review’s Chris Jack spoke to Steven Gerrard about James Tavernier
- Gerrard revealed why he picked Tavernier as captain in 2018
- Tavernier was instrumental for Gerrard during the 2021 title victory
Former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has opened up on how he came to select James Tavernier as captain.
The former Gers boss and Liverpool legend spoke exclusively to Rangers Reviews Chris Jack on Tavernier’s upcoming departure.
He also focused on the moment that changed his Rangers career forever, becoming the captain in 2018 under Gerrard’s stewardship.
Gerrard claims Tavernier wasn’t the ‘perfect captain,’ but he held some incredible qualities that made him a success.
Questions have been raised about his downturn in performance, but his leadership cannot be questioned.
Gerrard unveiled the reasons he became captain and spoke honestly about his good and not-so-good leadership traits.
Gerrard’s captaincy decision for Tavernier
Gerrard said, “I walked into a unique situation. Lee Wallace was struggling with injuries.
“I knew he had a real connection, Lee Wallace, with the fans, and Lee was professional while he was there for a short space of time, when I was there.
“But we have to look at the big picture and the future.
“I didn’t want to make the captain a new signing, even though an Allan McGregor or Scott Arfield would have been more than capable.
“I wanted to appoint someone who’d been through it and felt it, knew what Rangers was about.”
Tavernier signed for the club in 2015 during the extreme dark times in the Scottish lower leagues.
Picking Tavernier as captain
“Someone who was robust, and I think James has been very robust in terms of repeating games.
“But I think a big part of the decision with James is, can I get the right people around him who can help him become a better leader?
“So, the likes of Arfield, Davis, McGregor, Jermain Defoe, and Connor Goldson were brilliant for James in terms of lifting his standards.
“That was the key to James. I don’t think he was a natural captain, but I felt with the right people around him, the right guidance, and the right support from myself, he would have done a sterling job, and he delivered in the end for me.”
And deliver he did under Gerrard’s stewardship, producing 19 goals and 16 assists in Rangers’ title-winning campaign in 2021.
“He’s helped other people. He’s universally liked in the group. He wasn’t the perfect captain, I think James would be the first person to admit that.
“A big part of the decision was, can we get enough leaders around James, can we get captains around the team, and let James thrive from that full-back position? He certainly did.”
Read Rangers analysis
Tavernier has been the scapegoat when things haven’t gone right at Rangers in recent seasons.
However, his loyalty and service to the club from the lower leagues to title success are legacy-defining.
Since being made captain, he’s won all three domestic trophies and led the Gers to a Europa League final in 2022.
His goalscoring, creative displays, and overall leadership are what Rangers have relied on over the years.
As Gerrard admitted, he may not have been the perfect captain, but he made the right choice in 2018.
Without Tavernier, Rangers would certainly not be where they are today.
