Captain Tavernier can still reach another level, says Rangers boss Gerrard

Scoring the match winning goal against Rapid Vienna on Thursday night, a penalty six minutes from time, James Tavernier has enjoyed somewhat of a rapid rise at Rangers. Aside from the penalty, club captain Tavernier was the stand-out performer for the Glasgow side as they shot to the top of Europa League Group D.

And, according to boss Steven Gerrard, the Englishman is growing in stature every day, and what is even more impressive in his manager's opinion; the defender has upped his game after penning a new four-year contract in September.

Speaking about his captain after the midweek win, Gerrard said: "I thought he was very good leading up to his new contract - and I thought he deserved that contract," noted Gerrard. "Well, he's been even better since he signed it. He's actually gone to another level. I've seen players fail to improve after a time but Tav is a good guy and he wants success as Rangers."

Tavernier had been the subject of interest from West Bromwich Albion this summer, the Championship side looking to bolster their squad in a bid to earn immediate promotion back to the Premier League this season. 

However, unfortunately for Rangers, Tavernier's manager believes the defender need not waste a season in the Championship searching for promotion, as the  'big boys' will soon come calling for his services regardless. Gerrard has hinted at an eagerness to recover possession and a willingness to put in the 'hard yards', as Tavernier's key attributes that could attract interest from England's top tier.

Gerrard waxed lyrical about his player, claiming: "He's becoming an animal out of possession. And that's where we spoke about how he could maybe improve his game. Going forward, he's the best. He will create goals and he'll score big goals - whether it's free-kicks or penalties. He'll contribute in the final third without a shadow of a doubt."

Gerrard continued: "If we can help him in certain ways to improve, I think we definitely have a Premier League footballer who's capable of playing down in England. I'm not saying I want him to do that. But Tav has more to come."