Former Newcastle United defender Tavernier was signed by Mark Warburton from Wigan Athletic in summer 2015, when Rangers were in the Scottish Championship.

In his 11 years at the club, he has played under 10 different managers, becoming the captain under Steven Gerrard in 2018.

He was a pivotal part of Gerrard's title-winning team, Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side who reached the Europa League final and won the Scottish Cup, and Philippe Clement's League Cup victors.

In 2024, Tavernier became British football's highest scoring defender with 131 goals but, this term, he has not been an automatic starter under Danny Rohl.

"We've shared the highs and the lows together and some truly incredible moments along the way," Tavernier added.

"To all the players I've shared the pitch and dressing room with over the years, thank you. The bonds that we've built, the battles we've been through and the memories we've created are what make this game so special.

"To the staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes every single day, thank you for everything you've done for me and for the team. Your support often goes unseen, but it has never gone unappreciated.

"And to the fans, your support home and away, through every high and every difficult moment has meant more than I can ever fully express. You are the heart and soul of this club and it has been a privilege to play in front of you."

From a perceived lack of leadership to suspect defending, Tavernier has had to face his fair share of criticism at Rangers.

The list of things some fans have attempted to lambast him for has at times been absurd. Facing scrutiny for treating himself to a chip shop takeaway comes to mind.

What cannot be disputed, however, is the captain's relentless attacking output from the right of the Ibrox side's defence.

No matter the manager, Tavernier has continually produced. In 562 Rangers games, the defender has scored 144 goals. It is silly stuff.

The instant counterpoint to try to diminish that statistic will sound something like: 'But they're all penalties.'

Granted, just over half have come from the spot, but when you throw in 148 assists, the 34-year-old's numbers start to look outrageous.

Even in what will become his farewell season, Tavernier is currently Rangers' top scorer with 14 goals. Factor in his six assists and he has contributed to 20 goals.

For most other full-backs, that would be a career-best campaign. For Tavernier, it has become his standard.

In five of his past 10 campaigns, he has netted at least 15. In one, he managed 17. In three straight seasons he scored 19, 18 and 18. Across 2023-24 he managed 24.

And that is before you count up the goals he has provided for his team-mates.

Since his first season in Scotland's top flight, nobody has scored more than his tally of 83 goals. Former team-mate Alfredo Morelos and Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland - both strikers - are next in line.

In fact, pull that start date all the way back to 2000-01 and only nine players have netted more Scottish top-tier goals than Tavernier.

He is equal with joint record holder Ally McCoist on 21 Rangers European goals. He is only 38 goals away from being included in the club's top 10 all-time scorers.

He ended the 2021-22 Europa League campaign - which also concluded with Rangers losing the final - as the competition's top scorer for the season.

And perhaps most staggering of all, with 152 goals overall in his career, he is the highest-scoring defender in the history of British football.

Tavernier has often been the fall guy at Rangers - which perhaps comes with the territory of wearing the armband at Ibrox - but these are numbers and longevity that would see most forwards leave as legends.

For Tavernier, his status is a touchy subject for some and a source of debate for others. A second Premiership title would go some way to ending that, though.