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James Tavernier has been singled out for praise by former teammate Russell Martin, who has described the Rangers captain as 'the best player in Scotland', as reported by The Daily Record.

What's he said?

Martin of course knows Tavernier very well having played with him for six months prior to Steven Gerrard's arrival at Ibrox.

He was signed when Graeme Murty was in charge of the club following the failed tenure of Pedro Caixinha but did not win a permanent deal after a loan spell.

The central defender is in no doubt who the best player was while he was at Ibrox, believing that Tavernier not only stands out as Rangers' top star, but also as the best talent in the country.

As quoted by The Daily Record, the 33-year-old said:

Last season was the toughest of my career. I saw both sides of the game, players who assume responsibility and those who don’t.

That will be invaluable for me as someone who wants to be a coach and a manager.

I believe Rangers have the best player in Scotland in the shape of James. What he does in terms of a right-back is incredible. He drives the team forward by what he does, scoring goals and leading by example.

He’s not an old-school captain in terms of ranting and raving but there are guys who lead by character and others who lead by example. Tav steps up during times of adversity and has got better season after season.

Is he right?

Tavernier's importance to Rangers is undeniable.

Some supporters have questioned his leadership abilities this season, especially after some disappointing results, but clearly he is the player the rest of the squad look to and you can't question his desire to push Rangers on and impact football matches.

He takes a great amount of pressure on his shoulders stepping up to take spot-kicks and his 17 goals this season is evidence enough he can handle that with aplomb.

With an unbelievable 20 assists too, is there another player who shows as much ambition to get forward and create opportunities for his team?

As for the title of 'best in Scotland', well that's a little harder to justify given some of the other players both at Rangers and in the league. Ibrox fans won't care about that though, most are perfectly happy with what he contributes as it stands.