I was at Rangers for eight years and was fortunate enough to captain the club for a couple of seasons. I played under three or four skippers.

When the team got beat or dropped points, the man with the armband always gets it from fans.

In my experience of the club, the captain is liable and the comments towards them are always the same. People say you aren’t a leader, that you don’t communicate, that you don’t want it or show enough passion.

Just because you are not shouting and screaming on the pitch doesn’t mean that you are not a good leader or are not passionate about the team.

That criticism has been directed at James Tavernier again after the Celtic game but I thought he played well at Parkhead and it was probably one of his better Old Firm performances.

I know he made the mistake for the winner and he will be gutted at that.

But he has been really steady this season, he has a good goal return and Steven Gerrard must trust him if he leads the team out every week.

Guys like Allan McGregor and Steven Davis will be a big help and there are leaders in that dressing room to help Tav as captain. I don’t think he has let his manager down.

It is easy to point fingers at the captain and it is always him that seems to get it when things go wrong, that is part of the role at Ibrox.

James conducts himself well, he plays with passion. There is this myth that he can’t defend - I don’t agree with that to be honest - and when he makes mistakes he doesn’t hide.

He has not let Gerrard down as a defender or a captain and he will know that he has to be thick skinned to have that honour at Rangers.