WINDASS CONVINCED BY IBROX BLUEPRINT
JOSH WINDASS admits Rangers’ blueprint for success convinced him to commit his long-term future to Ibrox.
SportTimes revealed yesterday that the midfielder would follow the lead of team-mate James Tavernier and put pen to paper on a new three-and-a-half-year deal with the Light Blues.
And Windass is determined to go from strength to strength under the guidance of boss Graeme Murty in the coming months.
He said: “It’s a good feeling to be rewarded with the form I have
JAMES TAVERNIER has shown his pedigree on the park at Rangers. Now he wants to be top dog off it.
The right-back committed his future to the Light Blues this week as he put pen to paper on a new three-and-ahalf-year deal.
But he is breeding a different kind of career away from Ibrox after launching his own company with friend Jake Chapman.
Tavernier’s passion for pets has become a business venture and his Designer Bullies UK firm deals in American Bulldogs.
Luscious The Lyon and Nino are two of his prized pooches and Tavernier is determined to lead the way and make his Bullies the best in show.
“I have always been into dogs,” he said. “Myself and my missus always wanted a family dog but it had to be the right place, not an apartment, and we are in a house now.
“This is something that I have started with a friend who I have known since I was three. We decided to start a business about these dogs and it is going really well at the minute. I’m enjoying it and enjoying the dogs.
“None of my team-mates have bought one yet. But I know Josh [Windass] is looking for a dog so I might try and persuade him!
“These American Bulldogs only came into the UK in 2012 so they are quite new to people. They are a great family dog and have been great with my kids.”
Tavernier has used social media sites Twitter and Instagram to spread the word about his new venture as he looks to build a Bulldog brand that is best of British.
The Englishman has long been a fan of man’s best friend but his childhood pets were inspired by his other passion in life.
Tavernier said: “It was a little bit of a mongrel, a bit of mixed breed. It chewed up the house. There were two, actually – Rio and David.
“Rio after Rio Ferdinand and David after Edgar Davids. They would chew up the house and my mum wasn’t best happy about it. We don’t really do the football names any more.
“The business is called Designer Bullies so we have
gone down the road of designer names that we can give to the dogs. People can have a look at the Instagram site.”
In years gone by, footballers would pursue a career in the media or open pubs if they didn’t continue in the game when they hung up their boots.
But Tavernier has a new leash of life as he looks forward to the next chapter of his career at Ibrox and what he hopes will be a successful and silverwareladen spell.
The 26-year-old endured a nomadic existence as he made several l oan moves from Newcastle United and struggled to establish himself at St James’ Park.
NOW he has laid down roots in Glasgow and is an integral part of the Light Blues side. For Tavernier, life at Ibrox is the dog’s, well, you know what. He said: “I can add a little more stress when I’m talking to my mate about it! No, it’s something where you have thoughts about what might happen after football. “The lads always try and come up with different opportunities to start up little businesses. I’ve gone this way and hopefully it can take off and be something after football that I can concentrate on. “We talk about which dogs we are going to buy next and the figures that pop up. You have a think about how much you have to spend and so on. “It runs like any other business. You have to