Glasgow Rangers are already on the ropes in the race to secure the Scottish Premiership title and are in danger of missing out on the trophy for a fourth year in succession.
Philippe Clement‘s side are already nine points adrift of Celtic and Aberdeen, who are both unbeaten, and need an incredible run of form and a drop-off from their rivals to have a chance of overtaking them.
The Light Blues have already lost three times in the top-flight this season, once each to the Hoops and the Dons, and dropped points in a 0-0 draw with Hearts on the opening day.
Their struggles, once again, in the league could see a major change to the squad, with a recent report suggesting that a key player could be sold.
Football Insider recently claimed that Rangers are planning to cash in on James Tavernier next summer, with his contract up in 2026, because of his ‘declining’ performances on the pitch.
If the Ibrox giants go ahead with their plan to sell the English full-back, the Gers would need a new captain, and here are three possible options for Clement to choose from.
1
Jack Butland
One contender to take on the armband is goalkeeper Jack Butland, who joined the Light Blues on a free transfer from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2023.
The 31-year-old star is one of the most experienced players in the dressing room and has played at a high level, with 87 appearances in the Premier League in his career.
Butland could be the oldest player in the squad at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, as the only two players currently older than him are James Tavernier and Leon Balogun. The former is reportedly due to be sold and the latter is due to be out of contract at the end of the month when he turns 37.
This suggests that he could be in the best position to pass on advice to the younger members of the squad and would have the most experience in big moments to calm the troops when needed.
Butland has also been incredibly reliable for the Gers on the pitch, both in terms of his performances and his availability. Since his move to the club last year, the English titan has made a whopping 78 appearances for the club in all competitions – playing every single minute of league action in that time.
Jack Butland | 23/24 Premiership | 24/25 Premiership |
|---|---|---|
Appearances | 38 | 11 |
Sofascore rating | 6.99 | 7.17 |
Save success rate | 71% | 72% |
Saves made | 80 | 21 |
Clean sheets | 18 | 6 |
As you can see in the table above, the former England international has kept 24 clean sheets in the Premiership since the start of last season and saved 71% of the shots against his goal.
This shows that he has been a safe pair of hands, saving the majority of the efforts against him to keep a healthy number of shutouts, and that is why he should be a contender for the captaincy, as he is a strong performer and an experienced head in the dressing room.
2
John Souttar
Another strong option to be the new captain if Tavernier is sold is central defender John Souttar, whose performances have been impressive this season.
He initially arrived at Ibrox on a free transfer from Hearts in the summer of 2022 but endured an incredibly frustrating debut campaign with the Gers, with 13 appearances in all competitions due to a long-term absence with an ankle injury.
Souttar worked his way back to fitness and played 41 times in all competitions during the 2023/24 campaign under Michael Beale and Clement, scoring two goals from centre-back.
24/25 Premiership | John Souttar |
|---|---|
Appearances | 10 |
Pass accuracy | 92% |
Dribbled past | 1x |
Ground duel success rate | 65% |
Aerial duel success rate | 66% |
Clean sheets | 6 |
As you can see in the table above, the former Jam Tarts star has been a dominant force at the back for the Scottish giants and helped to keep an impressive six clean sheets in ten league outings.
Butland described Souttar as “brilliant” in October and claimed that the Scotland international “gives everything for the club”, which suggests that he is captain material, as the defender is committed to the team and plays with passion.
The colossus is also vastly experienced in Scottish football, with over 200 appearances in the Premiership, and could be a great role model for the younger players to look up to, as he has been there and done it in the top-flight, which is another reason why Clement must consider him to be the next skipper.
3
Dujon Sterling
The third potential option to take on the captaincy is versatile star Dujon Sterling, who has yet to nail down a regular starting spot in his favoured position at right-back.
His lack of regular starts in the team may make this selection seem odd, but Football FanCast recently posted an article suggesting that the sale of Tavernier could open the door for the former Chelsea man to establish himself on the right side.
Sterling has only started four games at right-back since the start of last season, with other outings at right-midfield, defensive midfield, left-back, central midfield, and left-midfield, but the captain leaving in January or next summer could allow him to play there regularly.
The 25-year-old star has shown his commitment to the Gers by being willing to play in such a variety of positions for the club, being ready to play wherever he is needed, across 53 appearances.
Since his move to Ibrox, Sterling has not missed more than two games in a row through injury, which suggests that he has the availability required to be the captain, as it would be pointless for Clement to appoint a new skipper if they are constantly missing through injury.
At the age of 25, the former Stoke loanee is the youngest player on this list by several years and that means that he would have the time to grow into the role and be the long-term replacement for Tavernier, both in terms of the right-back position and the captaincy.
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