James Tavernier was born on 31 October 1991 in England. He is a defender for Rangers, playing primarily as a Right Back. His stature is not to be belittled, standing at 5ft 8in and weighing 12st 10lb. He proudly dons the number 2 jersey with a ferocity unmatched, albeit only for the Rangers.
In the 2023 - 2024 season, Tavernier graced the Premiership with 38 starts, scoring 17 goals. As if gracing is the right word. He also took part in the Scottish Cup, scoring once in five starts, and somehow found himself in the Europa League with eight starts.
This is Tavernier's tenth season with the Rangers. A decade of... well, mediocrity. In the 2024 - 2025 season, he has yet to make a first-team appearance, a stark shift from his 38 appearances and 17 goals in the previous season. In season 2022 - 2023, he made 38 appearances and netted 16 goals. In 2021 - 2022, he appeared 35 times and scored nine goals. You could say he's consistent, if nothing else. From seasons 2020 to 2019, his performance wavered with a range of appearances from 24 to 38, and goals from 3 to 14.
Prior to his tenure at Rangers, Tavernier had quite the journey in England. He found himself at Bristol City, Wigan Athletic, Rotherham United, and Shrewsbury Town. At Bristol City, he played 12 times, sneaking 3 goals past some poor keeper. Then it was off to Wigan Athletic for 11 appearances. Tavernier's stint at Rotherham United saw him score 5 goals from 27 games. Shrewsbury, however, saw him only once on the pitch. It was a similar story at Newcastle United, and before that at MK Dons and Sheffield Wednesday. Tavernier had the longest run at Carlisle United with 16 appearances before ending up at Gateshead in his debut season for 13 appearances and subsequently joining Rangers.
A career swathed in change, without much to write home about. Makes you wonder, really, about the joy of football.
