ANDY HALLIDAY has saluted James Tavernier for the way the inspirational Rangers skipper has led from the front on the club's stunning march to the Europa League final.
Tavernier has remarkably scored in the home leg of each of the Govan side’s knock-out victories and is just one more win from joining the legendary John Greig in the history books as a European cup-winning captain.
The full-back signed for Rangers just two days after Halliday in 2015 and the pair were team-mates for five years until Halliday left for Hearts in 2020.
And Halliday has heaped praise on his former colleague for the way he has repeatedly proved his doubters wrong while wearing the Ibrox armband. He said: “I’m absolutely delighted for him. I think some of the stick he’s taken over the years has been baffling. “I always felt as a player if he can take stick despite doing what he’s doing then anyone can. “And the goals he’s scored. I read he’s scored 35 in his last 100 appearances - that’s just not right, it’s just something you don’t see. “He’s had a lot of questions - is he a captain, is he captain material? “Well, if you score the first goal in every home leg in a European knockout competition, that’s somebody who’s setting an example and driving from the front. “I’m absolutely delighted for him and I’ll be absolutely delighted for the club and all my ex-team-mates if they go and do it.”
Meanwhile, Halliday has hailed his old team for their ‘remarkable achievement’ in reaching tomorrow’s final.
As the Jambos warm up for Saturday’s Scottish Cup final against Rangers, their Hampden opponents are preparing to fly the flag for Scottish football on the continent.
Their Seville showdown with Germans Eintracht Frankfurt comes 19 years on from Celtic’s Uefa Cup final in the same city - and 50 years on from Rangers’ famous European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph over Dinamo Moscow across Spain in Barcelona.
Halliday doubted whether another Scottish club would reach a European final after Celtic’s agonising defeat to Porto in 2003, only for Rangers to repeat that feat just five years later
But the 30-year-old reckons the Light Blues’ progress to the final this season - seeing off Borussia Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade, Braga and RB Leipzig in the knock-out stages - has been simply stunning.
He added: “It’s been remarkable. I remember Celtic getting to Seville in 2003 and thought you would probably go a long time before you saw a Scottish club do that again.
“Then, Rangers obviously made it in 2008.
“And I remember thinking I’d probably not see that again in my lifetime.
“Now, we’re here in 2022 and they’ve managed to do it again, against all odds in getting to the final.
“It’s been a remarkable achievement when you look at some of the clubs they’ve played against.
“Especially in modern-day football, the financial disparity between these Dortmunds and Leipzigs to us in Scottish football… it’s a bit similar to Hearts to the Old Firm, when you look at the league table as well.
“The job they’ve managed to do to get to the final has been amazing and amazing for Scottish football.”
