BBC pundit names ‘very, very similar’ Rangers defender who could take James Tavernier’s place

BBC pundit names ‘very, very similar’ Rangers defender who could take James Tavernier’s place

One of Rangers’ main issues throughout the club, from top to bottom, has been a lack of forward succession planning; yet, in the case of James Tavernier, they appear to have got it right. Dujon Sterling joined the squad last summer, but despite being a fan favourite at Ibrox, he now plays second fiddle to another new signing.

Neraysho Kasanwirjo made his debut start at right back against St Mirren, and BBC Sportscene analyst Marvin Bartley was impressed with the Netherlands Under-21 international.

Neraysho Kasanwirjo praised for Rangers performance

Kasanwirjo took over at centre-back for the final 30 minutes and demonstrated to the struggling Robin Propper what a Rangers defender should do.

However, Bartley thought he recognized something in his natural right-back position. When asked if seeing Tavernier on the bench was surprising, he replied: “I was startled, to be honest; I believe people have been screaming for James Tavernier to take a break for a long time, but it has not happened.

“Listen, but he came into the team and played really well; he can clearly sprint and wants to play the ball forward when he can, and he’s also technically very excellent, so I don’t think coming in for James Tavernier has hurt his chances.

“He’s very, very comparable, in the sense that he’s like the old James Tavernier, who gets forward and overlaps, giving (Vaclav) Cerny an outside option. “He had a really, really solid game.”

Is Kasanwirjo the right fit to be Rangers right-back?

Who should replace James Tavernier as Rangers’ right-back?

Kasanwirjo played well, but Philippe Clement may benefit from having two more natural defenders who are equally comfortable on the ball on the same side.

As with his Dutch teammate, few players can beat Sterling for pace or in one-on-one scenarios. He may not be the tallest defender, but he possesses the athleticism to compensate.

Rangers defend near the half-way line against the majority of SPFL clubs, thus being able to win individual duels while also having the speed to recover or back-up teammates is a great advantage.

These are attributes that Rangers’ backline has lacked for some time, but Kasanwirjo and Sterling have the potential to change that.

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