Nathan Patterson looks 'every inch ready for a regular starting place' at Rangers, Keith Jackson says, but Michael Gannon has warned that it's too soon to 'write off' captain James Tavernier. 

The lowdown

Patterson made his first Scottish Premiership start of the season in Sunday's game against Hibernian, with Tavernier dropping to the bench following Rangers' Thursday trip to Sparta Prague.

The 19-year-old earned a SofaScore rating of 7.6 for his performance at Ibrox, the third-highest in the Rangers team. He assisted Kemar Roofe's equaliser, won six of his ten duels and completed four of his five attempted dribbles.

Tavernier, meanwhile, has been a key player for Steven Gerrard's side, with 39 direct goal involvements under his belt since the start of last season.

The latest

Writing in the Daily Record's Monday jury, Jackson acknowledged that Gerrard faces a 'huge call' at right-back.

But he thinks that Patterson, who displayed his 'drive and energy' against Hibs, is worthy of a starting role.

Gannon, for his part, accepts that Patterson has 'bags of talent' but stresses that Tavernier has been an 'incredible servant' and an 'extremely effective' option.

While 'a break might do the captain a bit of good', Gannon warns that he shouldn't be underestimated.

The verdict

It really is a fascinating dilemma. Patterson is one of the most exciting prospects in Scottish football, but he's up against a key figure with a pretty immense record.

Do Rangers have to play the long game? At the moment it seems inevitable that Patterson will move on from the Glasgow outfit at some point.

If he continues to play second-fiddle, then that departure could come this summer, probably for around £10million.

But if he establishes himself in the first-team, Rangers' intake could be significantly higher. Should that inform their thinking?

In other news, this man came in for praise for his performance against Hibs.