Hurt James Tavernier sets Rangers record straight with lengthy statement
Outgoing captain reveals he delayed injection to say farewell to Ibrox
Rangers captain James Tavernier says he felt “deeply hurt and let down” by the decision not to start him against Hibs in what would have been his final match at Ibrox.
Tavernier, whose contract at Rangers expires next month, was left out of the squad for Wednesday night’s Premiership match against Hibs and after reports that he had stormed out of Ibrox due to the decision, he later took to the pitch in a suit to receive a farewell award from club legend John Greig.
It had been expected that Tavernier, who has played for Rangers for 11 years, would lead the side out as skipper to wave goodbye to the Ibrox crowd. But in the end, he didn’t feature after being informed by head coach Danny Rohl that he would only be a substitute.
Tavernier confirmed that he had been struggling with injury, but decided to delay an injection so that he could feature against Hibs. His understanding was that he would start against Hibs after discussions with Rohl and believes matters should have been handled much better after what he called “a lack of communication”.
Taking to social media, Tavernier wrote: “Dear Fellow Rangers Fans. Rangers will be in my heart for the rest of my life. I want every supporter to know how much this club means to me. It is important to me that Rangers fans know that throughout my career, I have given everything I have to our beloved club.
“The last 24 hours have been the most difficult and emotional of my career for both myself and my family.
"I am sure you will all understand that I cannot allow any confusion around my departure or the events surrounding last night’s game.
"I picked up a knock on my ankle after the Hearts game. 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 until Thursday so I could play one final game at Ibrox on Wednesday night.
"I personally informed the manager of this decision and explained how important it was to me and my family that I had the opportunity to say goodbye properly to the Ibrox faithful. I said I wanted to lead the lads out at Ibrox one last time and have my children walk out with me as mascots. I was told this was the right decision and that I deserved a proper send off. The manager agreed and said he wanted me to have a great send off. He knew exactly how important that moment was to me and my family.
"Tuesday then went ahead as a normal training day and nothing was said. I arrived home to my son telling me how excited he was to walk out at Ibrox with his dad one last time and be a ball boy for the game.
"What hurts deeply as a father is that my son had also sacrificed going away with the Rangers Academy to his first overseas tournament in Holland because being at Ibrox for my final home game meant that much to him. Even though my wife and I encouraged him to go and enjoy that experience with his teammates, all he wanted was to be beside his dad for one last walk out at Ibrox.
"After messaging the manager on Tuesday to ask whether I would be starting the game, and explaining that my children were asking if they would still be walking out as mascots, I was then informed that I would be starting the match as a substitute. 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 beforehand.
"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.
"Anyone who saw my reaction on the pitch last night will understand how emotional I was feeling, not only about leaving Rangers, but about everything that had happened in the lead up to the game.
"Lastly, 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."
Rangers conclude their Premiership campaign on Saturday when they travel to Falkirk. They will end the season in third place.
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