JAMES TAVERNIER has seen it all during his Rangers career. Now he can glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel.

There were times during the last four-and-a-half years where that certainly wasn't the case at Ibrox. Right now, with Steven Gerrard at the helm, Tavernier and his Gers team-mates are very much on the right track, however.

An 11-point lead in the Premiership title race, albeit having played two games more than Celtic, is a reward for their incredible start to the league campaign.

But the focus will shift to the Europa League once again this evening as Gerrard's side target the win over Benfica that could send them into the knockout rounds.

It would be another sign of where this side are heading at present and Tavernier knows better than most just where Rangers have come from.

“It’s definitely been a learning process,” he said. “In my years of playing for Rangers, we have gone through a lot of players and a couple of managers. It’s been a rollercoaster of a journey but it has given me great experience.

“What the club have done in bringing the gaffer and the management team in and the recruitment they have done, especially this season and last season, has the made the squad better than ever.

“This is the best squad I’ve played with since I’ve been here. I’m really happy with where we are at. We know there is still a lot of work to be done.

“It would say a massive amount from where we have come from [if we could beat Benfica]. We’ve had a great start to this group.

“We came off that pitch in Benfica disappointed that we were only coming home with a point when we knew we should have won the game.

“We know this will be a tough game. We have to concentrate on that and try to get the result we want. Everyone is looking forward to it because it’s at home. We wish the fans could be there.

“From a personal point of view, I’ve always given 100 per cent and tried to fight all the way. It wasn’t meant to be in the years beforehand.

“But what the club have done to bring in the gaffer and the management team and the players they have spent the money on is only making this club go in the right direction.

“It’s great to see how far we have come in the time I have been here. We all know it’s still a work in progress.

“We can still be better in areas all over the club and we have to make sure we as players do that on the football pitch.”

A perfect Ibrox record - one which has seen them concede just a single goal so far - has been the foundation for Rangers.

It is a platform they are eager to build on as success is targeted at home and abroad.

Tavernier said: “We knew had to continue to work hard on keeping clean sheets and we had plenty of time during pre-season to do that.

“We have places up for grabs, competition in the back four is really high so that’s pushing everyone on to another level.

“We go game by game and try and not pay attention to the records, but we know what we’ve achieved already in those terms and we want to see that continue.

“We need to continue to keep working hard because we know that ultimately we haven’t won or achieved anything yet.”