Rangers manager Steven Gerrard believes that his captain James Tavernier is capable of earning a call up to the England squad.
The Gers skipper unsurprisingly missed out on Gareth Southgate’s most recent squad, which was announced earlier this week, but Gerrard feels it isn’t far fetched to suggest a call up for the 5ft 9in [Source: Transfermarkt] Ibrox star.
“Who knows? You have to look at what’s out there,” he told the Scottish Sun when asked about Tavernier’s Three Lions chances as he compared to three England stars. “You have Kyle Walker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kieran Trippier. Some top players.
“He’s been magnificent this season. I thought he was very good leading up to his new contract, and he deserved that new deal. He’s been even better since he signed it. He’s gone to another level. Tav’s becoming an animal out of possession, and that’s where we spoke about how he could maybe improve his game.”
OPINION
Gerrard is right, Tavernier was always impressive going forward but he needed to improve defensively this season if he was to reach his potential. He has done that this term and now looks like a complete right back for Rangers. Despite Gerrard’s words it’s unlikely that Tavernier will receive an England call up while he continues to play in Scotland. It’s a sad fact but Scottish Premiership players don’t often get acknowledgement from the Three Lions. There is undoubtedly a southern bias when it comes to the national team and that will unfortunately prevent Tavernier from representing his country no matter his form for the Glasgow giants. The 27-year-old isn’t helped by the fact that he plays in one of the most well-represented positions in the England squad. Walker, Alexander-Arnold and Trippier are all top players, and while they continue to operate at a high level it’s unlikely that Tavernier receives any international recognition.