Born on the eve of Halloween 1991, James Tavernier has been terrorising defences up and down the country for the better part of a decade. The English defender, who stands at a modest 5ft 8in (1.75m) and tips the scales at 12st 10lb (81kg), has carved out a successful career primarily as a right back, currently plying his trade at Rangers, where he's been since, oh joy, 2015.
After an auspicious start as a trainee at Premier League outfit Newcastle United in July 2008, the then-teenage Tavernier was offered all of two first team appearances in the 2012-2013 season. It's safe to say he was no Geordie sensation.
January 2011 saw Tavernier sent north to Gateshead on loan, where he enjoyed a marginally better return of 13 first team appearances in his debut season. The following season, he found himself at Carlisle United, once again on loan, chalking up a whopping 16 first team appearances. That Newcastle really knew how to nurture talent, didn’t they?
With no sense of stability, Tavernier then found himself at Sheffield Wednesday, then MK Dons, both on loan, before ending up at Shrewsbury Town on loan in July 2013, where he made a singular appearance in the 2013-2014 season. From there it was onto Rotherham United, where for the first time in his career, Tavernier started to make regular appearances, and even found the back of the net five times.
A step up of his game saw Tavernier transfer to Wigan Athletic in June 2014 for an undisclosed fee, where he warmed the bench for 11 matches during the 2014-2015 season. He was then loaned out to Bristol City in January 2015, where his solid performances resulted in three goals in 12 appearances.
In July 2015, Tavernier took a literal and metaphorical hike up north, joining Rangers in the Scottish Premiership for £200k. It’s here in the frosty land of Scotland where the right back found his feet, enjoying a prolonged spell of stability, and indeed scoring regularly each season. With a goal tally that would make some strikers blush (peaking at 17 in the 2023-2024 season), it’s safe to say that Tavernier is an important part of the Rangers side.
And let's not forget his contributions in various cup competitions; like his two goals in two starts and one substitute appearance in the League Cup of 2025-2026, his adventures in the Europa League, and his outings in the Champions League Qualifiers of 2025 – 2026. That’s right, Champions League. Imagine the sheer fear in the hearts of elite European defenders as they gaze upon the man from Bradford, England.
