'Unflappable' Tavernier gives Rangers stars license to duck for cover as teammate applauds him for standing up to flak

As the leader and longest serving member of this Rangers squad, James Tavernier has been forced to bear the brunt of fan frustration this season.

Be it online or on the Ibrox doorstep, it’s been the skipper who has copped it in the neck from the seething support more than any other. Some of the criticism is fair. But there have been moments – most notably when Tavernier was subjected to a ridiculous personal rant as he led his team back to Govan following this month’s Old Firm defeat – when things have majorly crossed a line.

There’s no doubt, though, that with Tavernier attracting most of the bullets, it has allowed the rest of the Ibrox squad to duck for cover. So Jack Butland believes it’s only fair that when events turn gloomy, that’s when he and his team-mates must step up and attempt to lighten the captain’s load. And the Gers No.1 believes it’s that collective spirit that has enabled Tavernier to put the pain of his side’s Parkhead pasting behind him and lead from the front as Gers kicked off their Europa League campaign with this week’s impressive victory over Malmo.

“He never hides,” declared Butland. “He is someone who always stands up. But as a captain of a football club like this, it’s not an easy thing to do. What he’s done year on year, game on game, has come back through thick and thin, through really difficult moments. We’ve seen and witnessed some of the things that he’s been subject to.

“That’s part and parcel of being captain of this football club, but to come back and to keep doing what he does, to keep performing for us, to put the team on his shoulders with the penalties, with his play in general and what he does around the team. I can only imagine what he has to deal with on a daily basis – but