Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Josh McCafferty

Tavernier reveals what he told Clinton Nsiala after early sub vs Kilmarnock

James Tavernier has revealed what he told Clinton Nsiala after he was substituted off half an hour into Rangers' game against Kilmarnock last night.

The Ibrox club went 2-0 down within the first 14 minutes at Rugby Park, and early into his first game at the helm, interim head coach Barry Ferguson made a bold move in bringing off the young defender.

The change eventually proved dividends as Ferguson's team went on to win 4-2 thanks to goals from Vaclav Cerny, Cyriel Dessers and Nedim Bajrami.


Read more:


As Nsiala came off, Tavernier moved in to play at central defence.

Post-match, he revealed what he told the 21-year-old after he was brought off: "Clint's a young lad," said the Rangers captain (Sky Sports).

"I was chatting to him just there.

"It's things you've just got to keep working on. He can't put his head down, these are things that just come with football. We'll all get around him."

Undoubtedly a big call for Ferguson to make so early into his period in charge of Rangers, the decision to hook Nsiala early proved crucial.

It brought stability at the back and allowed Rangers to motor towards a much-needed victory.

Speaking after Wednesday evening's game, Ferguson lifted the lid on the early change: "I've got to make decisions," he said.

"Clinton's a young player, he's got huge potential, but it could have been a number of players.

"But I've been brought here to do a job, I have to make some tough decisions at times. I'm not scared to make tough decisions, but it worked."

Ferguson will look to make it back-to-back wins in charge of Rangers when they welcome Motherwell to Ibrox this weekend.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.