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This article is part of Football FanCast's Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers...

Darren Bent has told Football Insider that the reason Rangers still have their club captain James Tavernier is that foreign clubs overlook the level of Scottish football.

What's he said?

Tavernier has been the subject of interest from at least ten clubs across Europe, per a previous Football Insider report, yet looks like staying at Ibrox. This has bemused the former Spurs and Charlton forward, who clearly rates the goalscoring prowess of Steven Gerrard's right-back.

Bent believes the perceptions of football in Scotland are ignorant, stating: "You’ll get a striker who scores goals in Scotland and they’ll go: ‘Yeah but it’s just Scotland.’

"I’ve always said to myself that’s unfair. They’re still producing the goods, they’ve still got to score the goals.

"For a right-back, that (his goals and assists record) is absolutely insane. It is surprising that no one else has come in for him."

The pundit makes reference to the former Newcastle defender's attacking output last season, and quite rightly too. Tavernier scored 17 goals and assisted a further 20 in 57 appearances in Gerrard's first season in control at Ibrox.

Long may the ignorance continue

Bent nails it with his damning comments on the attitudes towards Scottish football, but it shouldn't be taken as a negative.

For a long time, the talents of Premiership players have been undervalued by clubs not just abroad, but in this very country. John McGinn left Hibs for Aston Villa for a £2.75m fee, a fee Celtic haggled over and then ultimately lost out on a brilliant player as a result. Fast-forward 12 months and Villa are valuing him at £50m amid interest from Manchester United.

This sort of mark-up isn't uncommon - see Champions of Europe Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson - so it's no great leap to suggest that players north of the border are undervalued until they show how good they are south of the border.

This attitude is exactly what Bent mentions, and from a Rangers perspective, they'll hope it continues for a long time. In Tavernier, you have a player who's clearly very productive offensively but is also an important figure at the club.

It's no token gesture to be captain of Rangers, particularly in this current side. In a dressing room that features club veterans like Allan McGregor and Steve Davis, it's not like Gerrard is short of experienced players capable of leading his side out at Ibrox, yet he chooses to stick with Tavernier.

Bent is spot on about attitudes towards Scottish football, but if it means the likes of Tavernier stay north of the border that bit longer, we suspect the Ibrox faithful won't care one bit.

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