James Tavernier expressed deep hurt at missing his final Rangers appearance, revealing the situation "could and should have been handled much better." The departing captain, who made 565 appearances for the club, did not feature in Wednesday's 2-1 defeat by Hibernian despite receiving a warm ovation when presented with a commemorative shield marking his 11 years' service.

Tavernier explained his ankle issue required an injection, which initially would have ruled him out of both matches. After discussions, he delayed treatment to allow a farewell appearance but was told he would only be a substitute. "In that moment, my emotions understandably took over," the 34-year-old defender wrote on Instagram, adding that he felt "deeply hurt and let down" by how events unfolded.

The Englishman announced his departure last month and is British football's highest-scoring defender with 152 goals. He emphasized that "no individual is ever bigger than this great football club" while expressing disappointment at the public version of events that didn't reflect private conversations. Rangers head coach Danny Rohl maintained there was "no conflict" and that Tavernier was not 100% fit to start against Hibernian.