Vaclav Cerny and Todd Cantwell lead stunned Rangers reaction to James Tavernier statement on Ibrox omission
Rangers stars of the past and present have responded to claims made by James Tavernier.
A clutch of past and present Rangers stars have backed James Tavernier amid a stand-off with Ibrox boss Danny Rohl.
The captain was supposed to play his final match in Govan midweek against Hibs ahead of his departure this summer. He was a shock omission from the squad but was pitch-side ahead of kick-off as fans paid tribute to the departing skipper after 11 years of services. Tavernier’s final game at Rangers could now have came in last weekend’s defeat to Celtic with his status for the final game of the term against Falkirk unknown.
Rohl’s side went on to lose 2-1 against Hibs and said post-match that Tavernier "had a medical issue.” Tavernier has addressed the situation on Instagram where current stars Djeidi Gassama, Bojan Miovski and Nedim Bajrami have sent messages of support to the club captain. Former stars have gone stronger, however. Leon Balogun put: “You deserved so much better. Everybody knows. Hall of Famer, Legend, Our Skipper.”
Todd Cantwell on James Tavernier’s Rangers exit
Ex playmaker Todd Cantwell claimed ‘ you deserved better, your the main man skip’, and Ianis Hagi added ‘it shouldn’t have ended this way…Our captain.’ Vaclav Cerny commented ‘absolute legend skipper’ while Jordan Jones insisted: “Shambolic treatment. Be proud Tav, every player who played with you knows how much of a role model you are to us and your family skip.”
Tavernier said: "The last 24 hours have been the most difficult and emotional of my career for both myself and my family. Following discussions with the medical staff, we agreed that an injection was the only option, which was initially scheduled for Thursday.
"After Sunday's game, and with emotions running high, I made the decision to bring the injection forward to Tuesday. That decision would have ruled me out of both Wednesday and Saturday's matches. After speaking throughout Monday with my family and the medical department, I came to the decision to delay the injection so I could play one final game at Ibrox on Wednesday night.
What has James Tavernier said about missing final Rangers games?
"I informed the manager and explained how important it was to me and my family that I had the opportunity to say goodbye properly to the Ibrox faithful. In that moment, my emotions understandably took over. Many people may feel I could have handled the situation better, and I accept that, but after dedicating over a decade of my life to this club, with my family beside me throughout it all, I felt deeply hurt and let down.
"What disappointed me most was the version of events that was later presented publicly, as it did not reflect the conversations that had taken place privately. I firmly believe the situation could and should have been handled much better from all sides. A lack of communication allowed matters to escalate unnecessarily in the build up to such an emotional occasion for myself and my family."
"I want to make clear that no individual is ever bigger than this great football club. Rangers must always come first. I hope the fans continue to stand united behind the team and the club moving forward. Thank you for everything."
The Scottish Football Social Club is presented by BetSBK.com | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly