JAMES TAVERNIER will remain on Rangers penalty duty this season as he backs himself to find the net from 12 yards next time out.

The Ibrox skipper has missed his last two efforts from the spot against Progres Niederkorn and Feyenoord.

Tavernier enjoyed a terrific record on penalties last term as he netted 17 times in all competitions for Steven Gerrard’s side from right-back.

And he will happily put himself under the pressure once again after confirming his intention to remain the designated penalty taker.

Tavernier said: “I am more than confident to step up again. I have had a bit of grief from a couple of the lads! Mainly from Alfredo (Morelos) because he wants to take one.

“But I want to put things right after missing a couple and I am happy, if we get the opportunity, to step up for the team.

“It happened last season when I missed but I was confident to step up for the next one and put it away.

“It is just the same routine. It is one of those things. Sometimes penalties just don’t go right for you on the day but you have got to believe in your abilities and tuck them away.

“It is always a mind game between the keeper and yourself and if you have taken so many penalties you are trying to decide where you are going to put it next.

“It is something that I really enjoy but with the last two the keeper has not had much to do. I have got to make sure I hit the back of the net next time.

“I have always wanted to take penalties but I was never given the chance. I took one in a shoot-out for Rotherham in the play-off final but this is the first time I have been the penalty taker.

“Even if you had said in the first season that I came, I would have taken that responsibility. I love to take responsibility on anything and I believe in myself. Now that I am captain, I am happy to be in that position from 12 yards out.”

Tavernier has just one goal to his credit so far this term after netting in the Premiership win over Livingston.

Aberdeen are the visitors to Ibrox this afternoon and the skipper is determined to continue the momentum after four wins from four following the Old Firm defeat earlier this month.

Tavernier said: “First and foremost, you always want to beat your rival, you always want to go into any league game and get three points.

“If we want to be competing for the league by the end of the season, we have got to try and take maximum points from every game. We have responded brilliantly after the international break and we want this momentum to keep going.

“Obviously the disappointment after [the Celtic] game was that we went into the international break. But it was a chance to go away and recharge the batteries and we have got a good, experienced side with good heads. When we came back, we knew what was required and we have responded fantastically since then.”

Rangers won just two of their seven meetings with Aberdeen last term as Gerrard was left empty-handed in his debut campaign at Ibrox.

And Tavernier knows the importance of the fixture for a number of reasons this afternoon.

Tavernier said: “Yeah, I was taken aback by it in the first game or first couple of weeks when I came up here.

“You don’t realise how big it is and the rivalry between Aberdeen and Rangers until you are actually involved in. It is something that is good as a player because you have more than one rivalry in the league and the fans really want you to win these games.

“Most of the times we have played Aberdeen we have stepped up but there were a couple of instances last season in the Cups when they knocked us out both times. They were hard to take.

“A few of the boys are still here and still remember that and the threats that they carry. We have to be disciplined defensively and when we created chances put them away.”