James Tavernier feels Rangers struggles early in season have boosted title bid

Rangers captain James Tavernier believes coming through their early-season struggles has furnished the squad with a resilience that can push them towards the title.

The Light Blues only won five of their first 19 games in all competitions and won just one of their first eight William Hill Premiership games.

However, they have the title in their own hands going into the split just a point behind leaders Hearts.

Danny Rohl has masterminded an unlikely comeback since replacing Russell Martin and Tavernier feels they are in good shape after a training week in Spain.

The right-back, whose team host Motherwell on Sunday, said: “We obviously didn’t start the way we wanted to but we’ve put ourselves back in with a fight for the title. The full focus is three points, by any means necessary.

“We’ve shown that we’ve got stronger throughout the season. The Falkirk game, 2-0 down, maybe at the start of the season we might have never brought that round, but we got a goal just before half-time, and then the goals are coming from all different scorers as well.

“Everyone’s contributing, everyone’s giving the gaffer a headache of what team he needs to select. So we’ve just got to continue pushing ourselves and winning games no matter what.

“Any lads that join, and you have a lot of young lads in that as well, you’re always going to get chucked into the deep end playing for Rangers. You never really get that breathing space of working yourself in.

“I felt, as the season’s progressed, the boys have really turned it around. One of them for me is Mikey Moore, from the start of the season to now, the player he is now and what he will be, I think this is only going to make him a better player in the future.

“What it has done for all the lads, it’s made us real resilient as a team, and now we can really push on. We’ve got to obviously stay humble, but really push each other on to finish this over the line.

“We’ve had a good training break, away as a team and as staff, and we came back with lots of energy, real hunger.

“The first day back from that, everyone was flying in, so we are really excited for this last stretch of games.”

The 34-year-old has still not been offered a contract for next season but he is content to take life “day by day”.

“It’s never something that I’ve looked at in my career, thinking about the next season, even if I’m in contract,” said Tavernier, who has started 36 of his 49 appearances this season.

“Obviously this is the first time I will be out of contract, but I’m not changing that. I’ve got a hectic schedule with the family, and with football, so anything too far ahead, I can’t really think of, I just can’t process it.

“But when the time comes, everything will be sorted.

“I’ve got a lot to offer as a player, not slowed down, still contributing the way I have been.

“I believe I’ve still got at least another three or four years in the legs, hopefully longer.”