Barry Ferguson has hailed James Tavernier’s impending 500th Rangers appearance as an “unbelievable achievement” as the Ibrox skipper prepares to reach the milestone against Motherwell on Saturday.
The 33-year-old right-back, who joined the club from Wigan Athletic in 2015, has been a mainstay in the Rangers side for nearly a decade, captaining the team through some of the club’s most challenging and triumphant moments.
His landmark appearance will come at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership, where he will once again lead his side out in front of the Light Blues faithful.
Rangers have lost their last two home matches, so there’s an added emphasis to mark Tavernier’s incredible milestone with a victory.
Ferguson, who was appointed interim manager earlier this week following the departure of Philippe Clement, understands better than most the demands of captaining Rangers. The former midfield general led the club during two separate spells and lifted multiple trophies, cementing his status as one of the most respected leaders in the club’s history.
And while Tavernier has faced his fair share of criticism from sections of the Rangers support over the years, Ferguson insists his longevity and influence should be recognised.
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“First and foremost it is an unbelievable achievement,” Ferguson said.
“He’s been through a lot in his Rangers career, but one thing I will say about James Tavernier is that he never hides. He always puts himself out there to play.
“And I thought on Wednesday night [in the 4-2 win at Kilmarnock] when I moved him from his natural right-back position into centre-half, I thought he was exceptional.
“I thought he became a real leader, and that’s what I want from my captain.
“As I said, we’ve had a few good chats, he is an important player for me and as I said tomorrow, 500 games, he deserves a lot of credit for that."
His performances in big games and his defensive capabilities have come under scrutiny at times, yet he has remained a constant presence through managerial changes and squad rebuilds.
Since taking over the captaincy in 2018, Tavernier has led Rangers to the Premiership title in 2020-21, ending Celtic’s dominance, as well as lifting the Scottish Cup and League Cup.
He was also instrumental in the club’s memorable run to the Europa League final in 2022, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer - an incredible feat for a full-back.
Ferguson went on to say: "When you suffer defeats and you don't play well, it's generally the captain that gets it in the neck. Listen, he's big enough to handle those situations.
"I've been through it as well. It's not nice at times, but I'm afraid that's the nature of the beast when you play for Rangers."
