WE’RE LIGHT YEARS AHEAD

GAVIN BERRY

sport@dailyrecord.co.uk Livingston and Celtic, and we know where we need to be to deliver a good performance.

“You always want to do your best but it’s whether you get a kick up the backside or it’s just a daily routine where you know the standard has to be high.

“We’ve got a great squad and if the standard isn’t high and you’re not delivering then you won’t get selected in the starting 11 or even the 18, so the boys know they need to train hard.

“The standard has been raised. When all the boys are fit it’s hard for the manager to select a squad because that’s the level we’re training at now.

“It was disappointing last season but I’m looking forward to leading the boys out on Sunday. We’re going in the right direction. You can only look forward and hopefully we can book a place in the Final.”

Tavernier admitted some players in the dressing room last term weren’t strong enough to cope with the demands of playing for Gers.

He said: “I’m mentally tough and have always been able to handle the scrutiny but it can be hard when everything is getting aimed at you and some lads can’t take it. Maybe that was a little bit of a factor last season but it’s in the past now.”

Tavernier’s first experience of Hampden couldn’t have been better as he celebrated a famous shootout win in the Old Firm Scottish Cup semi-final in 2016.

But since then he’s suffered an agonising Scottish Cup Final loss to Hibs and hat-trick of defeats to Celtic, including a 4-0 thumping last season.

Tav said: “It’s a blank page going back to Hampden.

“Every game is different. This is against Aberdeen and we haven’t played there this season as a new squad.”