'Time will tell' - Rangers captain breaks silence over new contract talks as Ibrox exit nears
The skipper is set to leave the club in the summer upon the expiration of his contract
Rangers club captain James Tavernier confirmed no formal contract negotiations have been entered at Ibrox, as his 11-year stint with the club nears its conclusion.
The defender, who insists his full focus is on short-term title race matters, is out of contract in the summer and at 34 years of age, he’s found his once nailed on place in the Rangers starting XI on a shoogly peg. Having made over 500 appearances over the past decade, the right back remains one of the club’s most loyal ever servants. As the future remains uncertain for the skipper, whether he is going to stay or go at the end of the season has become a major talking point.
With Rangers sitting a point behind league leaders Hearts and two ahead of Celtic, Tavernier maintains that at this point in time, all he cares about is lifting, what would be his second Scottish Premiership title. Speaking to BBC Sport, he also revealed that no new contract talks have been entered ‘as yet’.
Rangers captain confirms no new contract talks
When asked if he thinks he’ll still be a Rangers player next season, he responded: “I don't know. Time will tell. Time will tell for that one. I'm a man who always focusses on the short term, day by day, especially this week. Focus on the family, focus on my football this week. My wife's asking me about enough summer holidays and what the kids need on their holidays. I'm saying talk to me on a later date because that's just too far ahead for me. Time will tell with this one. I'm obviously excited for what the future brings.”
But when pressed further on the matter, he was asked specifically if any new contract negotiations had been entered. He answered: “No, not as yet. Nothing's ever a guarantee in football to play. But in football, no-one's ever guaranteed to play in the start game. You've obviously got to earn the right, which from day one since I've been playing professional football, I've always had to earn that right to start.”
Is the clock ticking for James Tavernier?
If the skipper was to depart the club, it would signify the end of an era at Ibrox. Tavernier remains the only player at the club that was there when Rangers were in the second tier and is also last remaining player who was part of their famous Europa League run in the 2021/22 season, which saw them go all the way to the final.
What indicates that Tavernier’s time may be up in Govan is that there are other players whose contracts are close to expiring that have signed, or are in talks to pen a new deal. John Souttar pledged his future to the club for another year when he signed a new deal back in February. Meanwhile, back-up goalkeeper Liam Kelly has entered negotiations for beyond the summer.