Redefining the Right-Back Role After the Tavernier Era
James Tavernier left Ibrox in the summer, closing out eleven years and 144 goals from right back.
Derek McInnes has had to fill that gap without pretending it can be filled the same way.
The Dujon Sterling Rangers project that has taken shape since then rests on a different idea of what the position should do.
Andy Halliday previously argued that Tavernier remains a better option than anyone currently available to McInnes, and given what Tavernier delivered over more than a decade, it’s an understandable view.
Alan Hutton sees it differently. As a former Rangers and Scotland right back himself, his opinion carries real weight.
Hutton’s case is not that Sterling matches Tavernier’s numbers. It’s that Rangers no longer need their right back to be the main outlet going forward, and that changes how Sterling should be judged.
How Dujon Sterling Drives Derek McInnes Tactical Setup
Hutton has been consistently impressed by what Sterling brings on the defensive side of the game, particularly across the two Old Firm derbies played so far this season.
“He’s been brilliant, but I’ve always thought that. I’ve always thought he’s had the capabilities to be a top player within Rangers, especially the defensive side of it.
“He showed in those two Celtic games his pace, his aggression, his willingness to stand up one-vs-one, it doesn’t matter who it is he’s facing.”
That defensive platform shaped McInnes’ derby squad selection for both games against Celtic this season, with control on the right prized above adventure.
Hutton is equally clear that judging Sterling purely on attacking output misses the point of what McInnes actually needs from him now.
“The only thing is you ask is maybe in the final third, could he do a little bit better? But are we judging that against the likes of Tavernier and what he brought to this team?
“Today as we stand, I think the Rangers in the front line have got the players which means they now don’t necessarily need their right-back to be up there and swinging balls in every two seconds.”
Old Firm Performance Data and Aston Villa Squad Comparisons
Two commanding displays against Celtic have done more to settle the Dujon Sterling Rangers debate than any single statistic.
Sterling gave opposing wingers little room to work in either fixture, and that consistency is exactly what Hutton values most.
“It means Sterling can focus on the defensive side of it, which is good. Nobody can live up to the record Tavernier had at the top end of the pitch. That’s like a one-off situation.
“His goals and assists were absolutely phenomenal. Everybody will look at Sterling and they’ll judge him against what Tav did. But I think there has to be a balance within it because you have to ask, what do you want as your defender?”
Rangers strengthened the position further in the summer. Ross McCrorie arrived as a squad signing, while Kosta Nedeljkovic joined on loan from Aston Villa to provide direct competition for Sterling.
Hutton has used his own contacts at Villa Park to build a picture of where that competition really stands.
“I speak to John McGinn quite a lot as well as a few other different boys down at Villa, so I asked about Nedeljkovic when he signed, really because of the Sterling situation.
“I still believe that Sterling is the first choice right-back. The problem surrounding him is the fitness side of it. I think he’s been good this season. But speaking to my Aston Villa contacts, they’re all saying the same thing.”
That assessment came in Alan Hutton’s comments to the Daily Record, and it leaves Nedeljkovic as cover rather than an immediate replacement.
Managing Right-Back Fitness and the Ibrox Positional Battle
For Hutton, Sterling’s ability was never really in question. Fitness is the issue, and how often Rangers can actually call on him.
“Do you want them to be very good defensively, one-v-one, not giving away opportunities, being solid, which I think Sterling is.
“Or is it that when he goes forward up the pitch, do you want him being someone who can find a teammate with a cross or stick in the back of the net? I’m not going to sit here and judge Sterling on how many goals a season he scores. But keeping him fit is the key thing now.”
Hutton believes Sterling would already be pushing Tavernier hard for the shirt in previous seasons, had his fitness allowed it.
“He’s that good a right-back that he would have definitely challenged Tavernier in the position in previous seasons if he was fit. There’s a lot of moments in games where you need your defenders to defend, and I think that’s where he stood up and was counted, where he didn’t let people get by him, he didn’t let balls into the box.”
McInnes has been open about the caution around Sterling’s fitness since he arrived at Ibrox Stadium, and the club leaned on a careful fitness management routine to keep him available for both derbies. That followed the caution surrounding Dujon Sterling that McInnes flagged back in August, when his positional role was still being assessed.
Nedeljkovic gives Rangers a genuine option on loan from Aston Villa, but he will need to seize the opportunity when it comes.
Right now, the shirt is Sterling’s to lose.
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