BLUE HEAVEN

Tavernier joy at securing a fresh Rangers deal until 2022

RANGERS captain James Tavernier last night insisted his heart always lay at Ibrox after pledging his future to the club until 2022.

Boss Steven Gerrard was handed a huge boost ahead of the start of the club’s Europa League group stage campaign against Villarreal tomorrow night when his skipper signed a new and improved deal.

Right-back Tavernier, who saw Rangers reject two offers from West Brom for his services in the summer, admitted he was thrilled to extend his stay at Ibrox.

‘I am delighted to go through the window and still be a Rangers player, and I have obviously been rewarded with a new contract,’ the 26-year-old told Rangers TV.

‘I am absolutely buzzing with that and it is thanks to the club and my representatives for pulling it over the line.

‘I’ve always seen this as the place for me to play football. Rangers have been great for me, giving me the foundation to start playing again and to start my career over again, and

I will always hold that closely. There was a bit of interest in the summer, but I was focused on working with the gaffer in this campaign, being captain as well.’ Tavernier has played 154 times for Rangers in three years, scoring 30 times. He had already penned a new three-and-a-half-year deal in February, taking him up to 2021. English Championship suitors West Brom then came calling in the summer transfer window but a £2million offer was rebuffed, as was a later bid to land him on a loan deal with an option to buy. Tavernier, who was signed from Wigan by Mark Warburton in 2015, has emerged as a key player under Gerrard. The former Liverpool and England skipper named him as captain, replacing Lee Wallace, before his first competitive match in charge of Rangers against FK Shkupi in a Europa League qualifier in July. Tavernier responded by scoring a penalty in a 2-0 home victory over the Macedonians. Explaining his decision to give Tavernier the armband, the Rangers manager said he admired his professionalism and shared his burning desire to win major trophies with Rangers. Gerrard said: ‘He’s one the supporters have enjoyed watching over the last three years and he knows what the club is all about in terms of responsibility and pressure. ‘He leads by example on the pitch and on the training ground and his application is spot-on. ‘In addition, he’s very well-liked within the staff and within the dressing room. ‘In my first chat with him, I asked him what he wanted the future to look like and he said: “I’m desperate to stay here. I want to win trophies here.” ‘That was like music to my ears. I just felt that he was the stand-out candidate for the captain’s role.’