James Tavernier said he was “deeply hurt and let down” after Rangers left him out of the squad for Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat by Hibernian, denying him what he hoped would be a final appearance at Ibrox after 11 years at the club.
The 34-year-old defender said the episode should have been handled better from all sides, after he delayed treatment on an ankle problem so he could play one last game in front of the home supporters. Tavernier had taken the acclaim of fans before kick-off when he was presented with a commemorative shield by club great John Greig, but reports then surfaced just before the match that he had left Ibrox and refused to be involved in the matchday squad.
Rangers coach Danny Rohl said after the game that Tavernier had “a medical issue”. Tavernier responded later in the day with a detailed account of how events unfolded, saying the injury first became an issue after last Monday’s defeat by Hearts and worsened after he started but did not finish Sunday’s loss at Celtic Park.
He said discussions with the medical staff led to the view that an injection was the only option, with the treatment initially set for Thursday. Tavernier said he then brought it forward to Tuesday after Sunday’s match, a decision that would have ruled him out of both Wednesday’s fixture and Saturday’s final game of the season at Falkirk. He said he then pushed the injection back so he could play one final time at Ibrox, and told the manager it was important to him and his family to say goodbye properly to the supporters.
“The last 24 hours have been the most difficult and emotional of my career for both myself and my family,” Tavernier said in his statement. He said he had later been informed in correspondence with Rohl that he would be named as a substitute, and added that the version of events presented publicly did not reflect the private conversations that had taken place.
Tavernier announced late last month that he would leave Rangers this summer when his contract expires. He has made 565 appearances for the club and scored 144 goals, a record that has made him British football’s highest-scoring defender with 152 goals. The dispute has now overshadowed what should have been a straightforward farewell for one of Rangers’ defining figures of the past decade.
Rangers now head to Falkirk on Saturday for their final league match, with Rohl saying before Wednesday’s game that he was unsure whether Tavernier would be involved. For Tavernier, the remaining question is no longer about one more appearance, but whether the end of an 11-year spell at Ibrox can be brought to a close without any more public damage.
