James Tavernier treats Rangers penalty obsession like chess as Jack Butland revelation leaves clinical skipper stunned

He treats it like a game of chess.

James Tavernier against every Premiership keeper. And more often than not, the Rangers captain is his club’s penalty king. The 32-year-old’s strike from the spot against Dundee at Dens Park in midweek was the 70th of his career so far. He has buried 56 of them.

Ironically, the first one he ever missed – in a game for Wigan against Derby almost a decade ago – was saved by his current Ibrox team-mate Jack Butland. Tav was astonished to hear this piece of trivia and said: “I only got told on Friday morning and I didn’t believe it at first. Colin Stewart (Rangers’ goalkeeper coach) mentioned it and I pulled Jack up. He said: ‘I think I might have saved that.’ I didn’t even know. I didn’t take a penalty for three years after that miss.”

But since he resumed spot-kick duty, Tavernier’s conversion rate has been superb. The Rangers skipper is a dead ball expert, from inside or outside the box. But his penalty success is a result of hours of practice at Auchenhowie.

And in a fascinating insight into his spot-kick strategy, Tavernier revealed how he has mastered his own technique that he believes will keep keepers guessing. When told about his conversion rate of 80 per cent, he said: “That’s not bad! I’ve had a lot of practice and I’ve created a style where it’s hard for the goalie to read what I’m going to do or what direction I am going to go.

“I always do the same run-up no matter where I’m going to put the ball. That’s my style now so it’s now about just continuing to practise and making sure I hit the spot.

“I’m always fixated on the ball. Some penalty takers look at the keeper but I’ve never really ventured into that scene. I don’t really look at anyone else, I just know it’s my job at