Barry Ferguson admits he's been concerned about James Tavernier's Rangers future during the international break.
The Rangers captain was on the end of some personal abuse following a 3-0 loss to Celtic on September 1, and the right-back has since been linked with a switch away from Ibrox.
Ferguson did have to deal with his own fair share of adversity throughout his time as Rangers skipper and has sympathy for the way Tavernier has been treated by supporters.
And he's challenged the 32-year-old to go out and begin to prove the doubters on if he has chosen to fight for his future at the club - starting when they visit Tannadice to face Dundee United on Sunday lunchtime.
“I can only imagine what it’s been like for the guys who are actually still wearing that Rangers shirt. And, in particular, for the man who pulls on the armband,” Ferguson said in his Daily Record column.
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“That’s why the next couple of days could be among the most important of James Tavernier’s nine years at Ibrox.
“And, I must be honest, I have found myself wondering what must be going through his head right now.
“The transfer deadline is still open in Turkey for a few more hours and Tavernier has been linked with a number of clubs in the Super Lig.
“That certainly doesn’t surprise me because the guy’s numbers in terms of assists, goals scored and his ability at dead balls are all right up there. Of course teams will be interested in a player like that.
“The question is, what does Tavernier want to do in his heart of hearts? Because I can imagine that he’ll be feeling pretty torn right now.
“He could have chosen to pick up the phone to his agent and tell him to thrash out a deal before the Turkish window closes. Instead, he seems to have nipped it in the bud.
"That tells me he wants to lead that team back out of the tunnel at Tannadice on Sunday and front up the process of trying to make up for what went on a couple of weeks ago. Twice in my career - albeit for very different reasons - I left the club and gave up the Rangers captaincy. And, on both occasions, I felt a little bit of me never quite got over it.
"I guess it was slightly different for me because I was born and bred as a Rangers man. So to become the captain of the club I followed as a boy was the ultimate honour and privilege. I could hardly believe how lucky I was and I took the responsibility very seriously.
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"Yes, it meant there was an added pressure on my shoulders. But I enjoyed that. I always felt it brought the best out of me. There would be disappointments and poor performances and when they came along I knew I would have to take the brunt of it as I was the leader of the group.
"I remember getting a bit of stick from supporters after defeats when I was leaving the stadium to walk to my car. Some of it got personal and that was never nice to hear. But, almost all of the time, I would be thinking to myself, ‘You know what? The guy’s right. I was rotten today and this is not f****** good enough,’.
"I’d think about it on the drive home and it would get under my skin. But my way of responding was to work as hard as I could on the training pitch and then go back out there and show them that I was still good enough to dominate and control a game of football. That I was captain material after all.
"I was lucky too. We had such a successful team and I was surrounded by so many talented players that it never took too long for us to put things right. If we lost a title one season, we’d win it back the next. If we didn’t win one cup final then we’d make sure we won the next one.
"But it’s not been like that for Tavernier. He’s had to lead the club through a very different set of circumstances and it feels as if he’s carrying the stigma of being a Rangers captain synonymous with NOT winning many trophies. I’m not sure how I would have coped with that. It would have done my head in to be honest.
"Yes, I like to think I would react the way I always did in my own time. But, year after year, disappointing season after disappointing season, it must have taken a helluva toll on the man. Fans have to remember, he’s a human being after all, with real feelings.
"So I’ve been thinking about him over these last two weeks ever since I saw the footage from outside Ibrox following the derby defeat when he was confronted by angry supporters. Now I’m not on social media but the clip was sent to me and my first thought was, ‘That’s too much!’.
"It just hasn’t sat right with me all of this time. Yes, we all have to accept criticism when we’re not doing our jobs properly. It’s the same for people who work in all sorts of industries.
"If you’re not performing then someone somewhere will let you know about it. And Rangers fans had every right to be angry about the way their team performed at Parkhead. They were still raw and they were hurting. But a line was crossed in terms of the levels of abuse that Tavernier was subjected to. It went way over the score.
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"Like him or not. Rate him or don’t rate him. But this guy has been wearing the jersey for nearly a decade as a Rangers player and never once has he gone hiding, no matter how tough it’s been. He’s always fit and available for selection the next week.
"That’s another reason why I was wondering where his head is at. I hope he deals with it the way I used to. I hope it’s given him the fuel to get back out onto a pitch as quickly as possible and show what he is all about. But I would understand it if he feels it’s unfair that he’s the whipping boy all the time. It’s a team game for crying out loud, it can’t all be pinned on just one man whether he’s the captain or not.
"I wish I could give him a bit of advice but I can’t. Deep down only he knows if he wants to be released from the weight of this responsibility, or if the desire and appetite is still burning as brightly as ever. And it seems he’s chosen the second option. But what I do know is that Rangers will arrive in Tayside on Sunday morning with no room for error.
"Celtic will open up an eight point gap over them at the top of the table by beating Hearts at home less than 24 hours earlier. It can’t stay that way. It can’t become a seven point gap either. No, it has to be cut straight back to five. No option.
"Anything less than a win will result in things becoming even more heated. Tavernier and his team mates can’t allow this hole to get any deeper. It’s now time for them to start climbing out of it instead."
