James Tavernier sees Rangers curse strike at Maccabi Tel Aviv as he 'nears the end of his career'

Tavernier, 35, has struggled since joining Maccabi Tel Aviv in summer and faced criticism after the Israeli side lost the Toto Cup final to Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Former Rangers captain James Tavernier turned 35 and is facing heavy criticism from Israeli football pundits after Maccabi Tel Aviv's 3-2 Toto Cup final defeat to Hapoel Tel Aviv. Ex-Bundesliga star Gil Vermouth said Tavernier is "struggling" and "nearing the end of his career", claiming he lacks the agility shown during his 11 years at Rangers, where he made 565 appearances and scored 144 goals.

Tavernier was made Maccabi's highest-paid player when he joined in summer but has endured a difficult spell. Vermouth highlighted his defensive struggles against Hapoel's Omri Altman, who scored for the fourth consecutive game. Manager Kenny Miller defended the defender, saying "there's no point" discussing the criticism and that "we're all happy he's here."