Philippe Clement breaks big Rangers rule after James Tavernier question as Belgian lifts lid on captain's future

Rangers manager Philippe Clement has confirmed that the skipper will lead the team out in Saturday’s opening Premiership clash against Hearts. It was an unusually forthright pronouncement from the Belgian, who said it would be the first and last time this season that he would be so loose lipped on the subject of team personnel. “I will give it one time a year so this (is) the one time I say yes about selection and who is going to start,” he said.

Tavernier is a special case in fairness. The 32-year-old is a modern day Ibrox legend so where he stands currently is a matter of significance, particularly given the mood music when he was missing, presumed tying up a transfer to Turkish club Trabzonspor, when Rangers played Manchester United at the home of Scottish rugby as recently as two weeks ago.

Clement was providing few revelations that day. Indeed, he wasn’t available to answer reporters’ queries at all. The Belgian had to rush off to attend a wedding reception following the 2-0 defeat. He left the task of explaining Tavernier’s absence to coach and former player Alex Rae, who did his best. “We just deal with it as it happens,” he said. “There is nothing to report, as such.”

No one left Murrayfield that day convinced Tavernier’s long association with the club would continue into a tenth, testimonial-warranting, season. Yet there he will be on Saturday, leading a slightly unfamiliar-looking Rangers side out at Tynecastle.

The longer this summer went on it seemed to be becoming increasingly apparent that he had made the last of 315 league appearances for the club at the same stadium on the last day of the previous campaign. Not so, it has emerged. Tavernier’s great Rangers story – and it is great, let no one argue with this - will continue, for the time being at least.

Of course, familiarity has often bred contempt in the case of the long-serving full-back. He is first in the line for barracking when Rangers fall short. Such persecution might be even more pronounced now in the aftermath of fellow fall-guy Connor Goldson’s exit.

The outrage will be merciless if there are any defensive calamities, specifically down the right side, against Hearts and, providing he keeps his place, against Dynamo Kyiv next midweek in a tough-looking Champions League qualifier in Poland. 

Clement also revealed that Dujon Sterling, a potential Tavernier replacement, isn’t fit enough to feature this weekend, having missed last weekend’s Union Berlin friendly. The manager is hopeful he will recover in time for Tuesday.  

As for Tavernier, he could be set to stick around, as he confirmed himself in an interview with Rangers TV in midweek. Clement stressed that he was glad to hear this. “Of course,” said the Belgian, although the manager did admit something has to change in the way Tavernier is deployed by Rangers. 

There will be no more running him into the ground and nor will he be assured of a place just because he is captain. If he needs a rest, he will be rested. If he’s not fit, he won’t play. One factor in his absence from some friendlies this summer is a hip injury and Clement hopes the player will have benefited from the chance to recuperate, mentally as well as physically. He is alert to the fact that the player had to bear the brunt of the heavy criticism following last season’s title collapse.

“As a captain of Rangers, it is part of the job. I have been there and done that in other clubs,” he said. “You know in the moments you don’t win everything everyone looks at the captain. That is part of the job. He fits that role well because he can manage that. I have seen in the past a lot of people break in that situation.”

Clement accepted that he himself was part of the problem. “I think he had one disadvantage last season that he played all the games and that is also my responsibility,” he said. “Because of that I think in moments he was not as fresh as he should be and that is something we want to change for this season.

“The people who have to play that position, they need to be fit,” he added. “I think Tav can make a really strong season. He is really hungry for that. (It’s a) pity that he has been out for two weeks in the preparation and missed a bit but I am very confident he will have a strong season. He has been very important with his goals and assists.”

Indeed, it seems extraordinary that any Rangers fan might want Tavernier to leave. The club's hierarchy might have their own reasons, possibly connected to the player’s reputedly high wages he earns, for ushering him out the exit door. Then there's the matter of a testimonial and the costs potentially accrued by hosting such a match.

Still, all players reach their sell-by date. It might yet be that Tavernier leaves sooner rather than later, although he should last long enough to lead the team out at Hampden again. That, of course, will be as soon as next weekend, when Rangers host Motherwell at their temporary home.

Clement said it was “a positive” that they had so many friendlies away from home, all arranged before the Ibrox situation was known to be so dire.

“We need to make Hampden our home for the moment, it is like that,” the manager said. “The best people to help us in that way are our fans. We count a lot on them, like they count on the team to give their best every second that they are here in the building or in the stadium. We need to create this unique atmosphere now in Hampden. That is our target.”