James Tavernier explains Rangers penalty technique, what happens when he misses, and addresses his trophy record

Rangers captain James Tavernier on how he has honed his penalty technique and his hopes of lifting the Scottish League Cup for the first time

Rangers captain James Tavernier scores a penalty against Hearts last weekend having missed one earlier in the game. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group)

Should this afternoon’s Viaplay Cup semi-final go the distance through extra-time and into a shoot-out one obvious question will arise: who will take Rangers’ four other penalties?

One, of course, will be claimed by James Tavernier, immovable as the Ibrox club’s chief spot-kick shooter over recent seasons, a role that cynics say makes him the busiest man in Scottish football (Celtic have actually been awarded more penalties than Rangers this season).

Tavernier’s overall record is 56 successful kicks out of 70 taken, his first miss coming in 2014 for Wigan Athletic when a certain Jack Butland, then of Derby County, pulled off the save.

Missing, though, has never deterred Tavernier from going again. Only last weekend he failed to net against Hearts only for Rangers to be awarded a second penalty late in the game. There was no chance the full-back would even consider handing the ball over. This time he scored, just as he did against Dundee in midweek. There is no shifting him from that 12-yard role.

“When I first came up here Martyn Waghorn and Kenny Miller were taking the pens before I decided to push myself to the front of the queue and get on them,” he recalled. “I could have had a lot more by now!

“I didn’t have the technique I have now at the start. I’ve done a lot of practice since then with the ‘keepers and created a style where it’s hard for the goalie to read what I’m going to do or what direction I’m going to go.

“I always do the same run-up no matter where I’m going to put the ball. That’s my style now so it’s now about just continuing to practice and making sure I hit the spot.

“You do get a little bit nervous but it’s generally down to technique. The first one against Hearts, I didn’t mean it to go across the floor. That’s the second time I’ve done that and it’s hit the same post. I’ve got to keep it in the air. If I get a clean strike with a lot of power behind it, the majority of them will go in.”

Not winning against Hearts this afternoon – no matter how it is achieved – is unthinkable for Rangers, overwhelming favourites to win this competition with Celtic no longer in contention.

Tavernier has been at the club since 2015 and won only two major honours, the title two years ago and last year’s Scottish Cup. The Rangers captain knows that’s not good enough.

“You always look back when you retire at the trophies you missed out on,” he adds. “You can’t beat around the bush, it’s obvious we’ve not won enough trophies.

“The team have tried to push [for more] but sometimes we’ve not been good enough. This is a cup I’ve never had my hands on and it is obviously something that we will try to do our best to resolve. But we have to get past Hearts first.”

Tavernier believes in Philippe Clement Rangers are now being led by a man with the skillset to deliver a first League Cup success since 2011.

“The initial thought on the gaffer when he came in was that he’s a winner,” he adds. “His history shows he wins trophies and it’s great to have that pedigree behind you.”