Rangers manager Danny Rohl has defended his decision to leave departing captain James Tavernier out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's 2-1 defeat to Hibernian at Ibrox, insisting his priority is always the team.
Tavernier, who is leaving the club after 11 years, had moved forward a scheduled injection on an ankle injury in hopes of making a final start. However, when told he would be a substitute, the 34-year-old refused to take his place on the bench. He did appear before kick-off to receive a commemorative shield from club legend John Greig, but later described the experience as the "most difficult and emotional of my career."
Rohl maintained he was "very transparent" with Tavernier. "My job is to make decisions on who starts," he said. "There's a huge difference between emotional decisions and decisions with emotions."
"It was also my wish and suggestion that he gets a proper goodbye," Rohl added. "I was clear and open with him. I said it could be that he starts or comes from the bench."
Rohl explained his thinking on the day: "First, it was to win the game, see Tav walk in with his family, take the plaque, do a lap of the stadium, and then get some minutes on the pitch. Whether he started or came on as a sub, that was my plan."
The manager noted that his final decision is always made three hours before kick-off, not the night before. "I collected information and I made the decision based on what's best for the team in that moment."
Despite an outpouring of support for Tavernier from past and present Rangers players on social media, Rohl dismissed any suggestion of discontent in the dressing room, calling the posts a sign of strong relationships among the players.