Chris Sutton hails 'outstanding' Rangers player he once branded a 'loser'

The full-back has been a key asset for Steven Gerrard’s side this season, scoring 11 goals and assisting 10 more in 28 Scottish Premiership appearances.

The 29-year-old has come in for criticism from the former Celtic striker in the past, with Sutton branding him a "serial loser” at the midway point of the Gers’ failed title bad last term.

But the outspoken pundit has singled out Tavernier for praise in his latest column for the Daily Record.

He said: “Players such as captain James Tavernier have been outstanding.

"I got stick for calling him a serial loser last season. Let’s remember, he still hasn’t won anything of note yet.

“But that is going to change soon with the lifting of the No.1 prize on offer and he’ll be due every accolade that comes his way when he gets his hands on it.

“I kept saying the only way to prove yourself a winner is to win. And that’s what he’s doing. Criticise when due, praise when due.

“Defensively, they [Rangers] have been very solid and given virtually nothing away for free.

“In attack, they have scored goals with abandon and all areas of the side have worked.”

Rangers can open up a 21-point gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership if they beat struggling Kilmarnock on Saturday afternoon.

Celtic face an away trip to St. Johnstone on Sunday knowing that they can ill-afford to drop anymore points this term.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers. If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.