When Rangers signed James Tavernier from Wigan Athletic for around £250k in 2015, few would have predicted that he would go on to captain Steven Gerrard’s side to an emphatic title success nearly six years later, but bringing him to Ibrox now looks to have been a masterstroke.
The Englishman joined on a three-year deal in 2015, along with Martyn Waghorn, with Rangers reportedly paying £250k for the right-back’s services.
Since then, he has gone on to make 284 appearances for the club, in which he has contributed a hugely impressive 63 goals and 89 assists, helping to fire Rangers back into the top-flight, before being a huge part of their title success this season.
Is Tavernier a Rangers legend?
Yes
No
In 29 league appearances this season, the former Newcastle United man has contributed 11 goals and nine assists, resulting in a superb 7.76 average rating, which comfortably ranks him as Gerrard’s best performer in the Premiership so far this campaign.
His performances have reportedly seen him attract the interest of Premier League side West Ham, which has unsurprisingly seen his value with the Ibrox-outfit increase even more.
During his time in Scotland, Tavernier’s market value has slowly increased, although his impressive performances this season have seen his value shoot up to £7.2 million, according to Transfermarkt.
This currently ranks him as Rangers’ joint-second most valuable player alongside Ryan Kent, with Alfredo Morelos top of the tree.
Therefore, when you consider just how cheap Rangers were able to sign Tavernier for in 2015, you could certainly argue that they unearthed a gem, as the right-back has become a hugely important member of this side, particularly under Gerrard in recent seasons.
The Liverpool legend was full of praise for his captain earlier in the campaign, saying:
“When he goes through the gears, he is unstoppable, and we have seen that, or flashes of that so far this season – I think he is really close to being at his best.”
Therefore, Gerrard is clearly a big fan of the right-back and he will be delighted that Rangers were able to bring him in for so cheap back in 2015, as his performances in recent seasons surely mean that he will go down as a legend with the Gers.
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