Connor Goldson says Rangers would be making a huge mistake if they let James Tavernier leave Ibrox.
The club captain’s future is up in the air after Philippe Clement left him out of the recent Europa League tie against Olympiakos, with the Belgian insisting he can’t play every game. Tavernier was rumoured to be on his way out of Glasgow during the summer but a move didn’t materialise. The 33-year-old’s form has suffered, with Rangers trailing Celtic and Aberdeen by nine points at the top of the Premiership table.
But his former Ibrox team-mate, Goldson, is convinced the club must keep their skipper on board. In an exclusive interview with Mailsport, he claimed the full-back will only get the respect he deserves once he leaves Ibrox. But the defender, who is now at Aris Limassol, says it’s vital the Rangers’ dressing-room doesn’t lose Tavernier’s leadership qualities.
Goldson said: “I feel sorry for Tav now because he’s going through a difficult period with the team. And he’ll be the one who gets the most stick. Fair or unfair, that’s what happens when you wear the armband. You’re one of the main players, one of the biggest earners so you have to take it.
“The stars of the team always face the most criticism. So Tav has to take that on his shoulders, as he does every year Is it difficult for him? Mentally, it must be because I’ve been there for six years. It’s hard. But you have to take it and Tav has learnt to do that. The fact he carries on doing his best for the club – you can only admire that.
“If you look at the year we won the title in 2021, we had Allan McGregor, Steven Davis, Jermain Defoe and others. That’s not including myself and Tav. I look now and you’ve probably got him, Jack Butland and John Souttar. I’m struggling to find any more. Sometimes we had bad games and those boys would tell us. If you let another one go in Tav, I just don’t know who in there lets people know what Rangers is all about.
“I don’t see Celtic getting rid of Callum McGregor or Scott Brown before him when they have a bad few months. They understand these boys know the culture and drive the new signings to who they become. It will only be when Tav leaves that he gets the respect he deserves.”
Since Tavernier joined Rangers in 2015, he’s been a virtual ever-present under several different managers. Goldson was alongside him for six years before being sold off to Cyprus in the summer. He accepts Rangers’ captain hasn’t been at his best this term.
But Goldson says he’s getting flak because of the high standards he’s set before now. He said: “Tav has been absolutely amazing for Rangers. He plays every game and you don’t realise how hard that is to replace. When you do that, you’ll take the most criticism – because you’re the player who will have the most bad games. If you play 60 games and have five bad ones, these five will be remembered. If you play 10 games and have one bad one, people think you’re amazing.
“When you play every week, you’re more prone to make mistakes. Everyone is human. Has Tav had bad games? Of course he has. But he’s always there, available for every single game – even now. That’s a massive credit to him. What he’s done for that club is incredible.”