Tavernier out to match Greig
Ibrox captain adamant he won’t be butt of hero’s jokes
JAMES TAVERNIER is determined to follow in John Greig’s footsteps and secure his Ibrox legacy by leading Rangers to Europa League glory. The Englishman will captain the side in Seville tomorrow night as Rangers aim to overcome Eintracht Frankfurt and lift the silverware for only the second time in their history.
Greig was the skipper when Rangers were crowned European Cup Winners’ Cup champions with a 3-2 victory over Dynamo Moscow 50 years ago this month.
And Tavernier hopes he can match that achievement at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan and ensure Greig doesn’t have a reason to jibe him with another Ibrox wisecrack.
Tavernier said: “I think the only time I can really speak to him is if I lift that trophy up. If I don’t then he’s going to give me some stick! My aim is to lift that trophy. That sort of levels the playing field a little bit.
“I have little moments with John, but it puts yourself in a category with most of the greats of the club and that’s where we all want to be.
“You want to put a legacy down for when the day comes when you do retire. You want to be able to look back and be really proud of it.”
Victory over Frankfurt would be a stunning success for boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst and the occasion is not lost on the man who could hold aloft the trophy. Tavernier said: “It would be a dream come true. For me personally, to lead this team out – who are an exceptional group of boys – I couldn’t be more proud.
“I think a lot comes into the mix. It’s 50 years since the last time we won a European cup and it’s our 150th anniversary.
“We’ve also had the sad passing of Walter and Jimmy so I think there’s the emotion of it all where we want to make people proud.
“That’s the people at the club and the ones looking down on us.
“With the group of boys we have, they all understand and they all know what it means to be a Rangers player and what it means for those people who had an impact on all of us.”