Keith Jackson says what may have been 'Degraded' at Rangers recently

Keith Jackson believes the captain’s armband may have been degraded at Rangers as James Tavernier starts to lose his place in the team.

The Englishman has spent nearly a decade at Ibrox and has been leading the Light Blues since 2018.

Philippe Clement has relied on the 33-year-old despite his form dipping this season, although the Belgian manager has recently started giving Dujon Sterling and Neraysho Kasanwirjo more opportunities.

Speaking on the Daily Record’s Hotline Live, Jackson wonders whether the armband is losing prestige at Rangers due to Tavernier’s situation at the club.

“You wonder if the value of the armband has been degraded a little bit now that it’s being worn by a guy that can’t get on the pitch or is going to get limited game time from here on in,” he said.

“I think it’s something that needs to be addressed.”

James Tavernier should leave Rangers

Rangers are sitting third in the Scottish Premiership this season, somehow a massive nine points behind Celtic and Aberdeen.

Clement’s career in the Ibrox dugout started on a good note, but the Belgian has been unable to progress on early success and has instead regressed.

While Tavernier offers a lot going forward, his defensive contributions have frustrated many fans.

After poor performances against Aberdeen and Motherwell, Clement dropped the captain to the bench for the Europa League fixture against Olympiacos on 7 November, with Sterling starting.

The 25-year-old showed he could play ahead of Tavernier in the team, but Clement surprisingly dropped him to the bench in favour of the 33-year-old skipper against Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on 10 November.

The Rangers captain wasn’t at his best in the 1-0 victory before being hauled off for Sterling, with Kasanwirjo also coming in and making a case for himself.

Clement can’t say that he doesn’t have options at his disposal to drop Tavernier, and unless the veteran right-back improves, there’s no justification for giving him regular minutes ahead of others.

The 33-year-old’s time at the Bears is unarguably ending, and it would be best for the Light Blues to move on and appoint a new captain ahead of next season.

In other Rangers news, Clement left the foreign press unhappy after what he did in Greece.

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