James Tavernier addresses Rangers Champions League dream as he lays out key reason behind Ibrox contract pledge

On the back of penning a new deal Rangers captain James Tavernier has named leading the club back the Champions League as his key reason extending.

The skipper already had a contract keeping him at Ibrox until the summer of 2024, but he signed a new deal earlier this week which will see him stick around in Govan for the foreseeable future. Tavernier has spent seven years at Ibrox already, with 351 outings across all competitions. He was handed the captains armband by then-boss Steven Gerrard in July 2018 and has since led his side to a Premiership title and Scottish Cup trophy.

And who can forget his role in Rangers' European run last term, where he finished as the top scorer in the Europa League on route to Seville. Now the right-back is looking to build on last campaign's European success as he aims for a spot in the Champions League not only this season but in the seasons to come, explaining that ambition is one of the reasons behind his decision to put pen to paper on a new long-term deal.

Speaking about leading Rangers in their European journey last year, Tavernier said: “It really put Rangers back on the map and said ‘We are here, we are here to stay and this is what we are about’.

“Obviously it was unfortunate that we lost in the penalty shoot out, but we can take great pride in what we achieved last season.

“But now we’ve got to really push on and kick on. Champions League is our goal. It’s a taste of what we want as a club. To compete with the best clubs in Europe and I won’t stop until we achieve that."

Explaining why he has pledged his future to the Ibrox club, he added: “That was why it was perfect for me to extend my contract. Hopefully in the years that I’m here we can really push and be where we