Barry Ferguson knows better than most what it takes to wear the captain's armband at Rangers, and he has never been one to shy away from strong opinions on his former club.
In his latest assessment, the Ibrox legend has offered an intriguing perspective on current skipper James Tavernier, who has faced his fair share of criticism this season and yet still remains a key figure in Philippe Clement's side.
While Tavernier's attacking contributions from right-back have been a hallmark of his game since arriving from Wigan Athletic in July 2015, Ferguson believes a shift to centre-back could be a serious option in the future - even if it's not a change that needs to happen just yet.
Tavernier produced an excellent showing filling in at right-centre-back as Rangers beat Union Saint-Gilloise on Thursday to progress to the last 16 of the Europa League.
Ferguson acknowledges that moving Tavernier inside permanently would mean sacrificing his threat from wide areas, but he argues that the 33-year-old's passing range and set-piece prowess would still make him a valuable asset in the heart of defence.
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With Clement juggling his squad amid injuries, tactical flexibility will continue to prove pivotal in the weeks ahead, and Ferguson suggests that the luxury of avoiding the Europa League play-off rounds could provide much-needed time to refine his defensive setups, with John Souttar returning from his own six week setback.
“A special mention also has to go to James Tavernier,” Ferguson wrote in his Daily Record column.
“He’s also had his critics this season but I still believe he has so much to offer this team.
"The manager might have been joking about moving the skipper to centre-back permanently to extend his career but it might end up being a serious option - just not yet.
“For me, there’s still life left in him as a right-back but I can see the sense in moving the captain into the middle.
“OK, you’d lose that attacking threat he offers out wide. But as you saw at Old Trafford for Dessers’ goal, he’s still got that range of passing that is dangerous from any position on the pitch.
“And you’d always have his set-piece delivery to rely on, which he again displays while whipping over the cross for Raskin’s opener.
“Clement might have to continue mixing things up over the next few weeks as he waits for bodies to return but they major positive of skipping the play-off rounds is that Gers now have two free midweeks they can’t have been counting on next month.
"That will be crucial as Clement looks to tighten up on some issues, particularly around defending set-pieces.”
