Credit: Imago

Aheed Abrar

Thu 14 May 2026 15:10, UK

Rangers manager Danny Rohl didn’t plan on having James Tavernier on the bench against Hibernian on Wednesday.

That’s what Alex Rae has claimed after getting inside information from someone connected to the Gers before kick-off on 13 May at Ibrox.

Rohl’s treatment of Tavernier hasn’t gone down well with some Light Blues fans, who feel the 34-year-old deserved a better send-off in what would have been his final home game before leaving as a free agent.

While the German manager claimed after the 2-1 loss that the captain didn’t want to be included in the squad after being told he wasn’t starting and he had planned to bring the right-back on as a substitute at some point in the game, he may be lying and there could be more to the story.

Tavernier certainly deserved better at Ibrox and it will be interesting to see what the veteran defender has to say about the situation if he does speak about it.

James Tavernier numbers speak for themselves at Rangers

Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard on 13 May, Rae said, “I’ve just had a text from someone kind of connected to the club saying he would not have been on the bench tonight.”

Tavernier is the highest-scoring defender in the history of British football, a feat that is often overlooked by fans and rivals alike.

In modern-day football, a full-back is expected to play a pivotal role in the final third, something the Gers captain has done admirably over the years at Ibrox.

Even in the current campaign, the right-back is the leading goalscorer for the Light Blues in all competitions and has also created multiple opportunities for his teammates.

What Tavernier brings to the team is unique and it will arguably be impossible for the Glaswegian outfit to replace his influence.

Danny Rohl to realise James Tavernier mistake at Ibrox

Rohl and Tavernier’s detractors will undoubtedly recognise their mistake once he’s no longer at Rangers.

Some supporters like to harp on the right-back’s defensive frailties, which are often blown out of proportion to fit narratives.

Fans have been calling for the Gers to find a replacement for the veteran defender for several years now, but the likes of Max Aarons and Mateusz Zukowski have struggled to live up to expectations.

Even Dujon Sterling, whom Rohl seems to trust, has been persistently injured at Ibrox, and the German manager may regret relying on him if the Govan side can’t find a quality right-back in the summer.

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