Rangers' German-born central defender Leon Balogun has revealed the secret behind James Tavernier's goalscoring form in the UEFA Europa League ahead of Wednesday's showpiece against Eintracht Frankfurt in Seville.

The Light Blues captain is the leading scorer in the Europa League with seven, with all the goals netted in the knockout rounds of the competition.

What makes it more impressive is the fact that Tavernier is a defender by trade and only four of the goals came from the spot.

The 30-year-old right-back has been involved in an astonishing 35 goals (18 goals, 17 assists) in 56 games across all competitions this term.

Balogun wore the colours of German clubs Türkiyemspor Berlin, Hannover 96, Werder Bremen, Fortuna Düsseldorf, Darmstadt 98 and Mainz before joining Rangers in 2020.

Asked how Tavernier manages to score goals from his defensive position apart from a few converted penalties, Balogun said to Frankfurt based German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau : "He has a strong offensive drive with a very high presence in the box. And he still doesn't neglect his defensive duties.

"Luckily! It's unbelievable how much energy he has on the road. He is really very, very strong and keeps making those deep runs."

It is all but confirmed Balogun will be named in the matchday squad against Eintracht Frankfurt but whether he's named in the starting lineup is another matter.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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