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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
Sport
Alan Galindo

It's no surprise Rangers are in Europa League final says James Tavernier as he hails Ibrox leaders

Rangers' run to the Europa League final in Seville has been nothing short of sensational

But skipper James Tavernier has revealed he felt something special in the air WEEKS before the Light Blues secured their shot at European glory.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men have beaten Borussia Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade, Braga and RB Leipzig to reach the showpiece with Frankfurt.

The Ibrox men are now just potentially 90 minutes away from creating history on Wednesday night, but making this stage of the competition has come as 'no surprise' to Tavernier

Speaking to UEFA's official website, he said: "We've come together so well, and we've been pushing each other on and it's no surprise we're in the Final.

"We thoroughly deserve it because we push each other every single day to better ourselves.

"You want to compete with the best teams in Europe. It sets a marker where you want to get to as a minimum, you want to beat that, and we've done that.

"Funnily enough, I had a conversation a couple of weeks ago with Connor (Goldson) and I said, 'We've got a good chance of this’.

"We've beaten Dortmund and you've got to back yourselves. We're playing against another team that's knocked out another favourite in the competition: West Ham are in the Premier League.

"So we'll know to respect (Frankfurt), because they've earned the right to be in the final, but we'll fully back ourselves going into a one-off game."

Tavernier may wear the armband at Rangers, but he says there are many leaders in the group.

The full-back named the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Connor Goldson, Allan McGregor and Steven Davis as other big voices in the group.

He also hailed the current Rangers crop as the 'best' changing room he's been in involved in and says everyone is in it together.

He continued: "It's just been trying to be the best version I can be on the pitch for the players, trying to lead by example and be the best driving force I can. Hopefully, I can carry on doing that when the final comes.

"We've got a great group of boys: great experience in Greggsy (Allan McGregor) and Davo (Steven Davis), Aaron Ramsey who's joined us, Connor [Goldson]... there's a few more that I can name.

"We're a great group of boys and it is the best changing room I've been in. If anyone needs a push, we're all there together. If anything needs changing, we'll all have a chat with each other, but we're all on the same page."

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