Tavernier has come in for criticism this season for his performances as Rangers have lurched from one crisis to another since the start of the campaign.
The Rangers captain has faced the ire of the fans but he was solid and scored in their 3-0 win over St. Mirren on Sunday.
Ferguson admitted that the Rangers full-back has not been at his best and even the player would admit that he could be doing better.
However, he feels Tavernier deserves credit for never trying to hide behind small injuries and he is always prepared to stand up for his team, which he believes is a great quality in a player.
The Rangers legend said on the Go Radio Football Show: “One thing about James Tavernier is that he doesn’t hide.
“That’s where you have got to give him huge credit for because it would be easy to go and hide behind an injury or something like that.
“But one thing about him is he stands tall.
“Maybe his performances have not been up to scratch and if you ask James himself, he would say, ‘I could do a lot better’.”
Tavernier will hope that he remains a key player for Rangers under a new manager as well in the future.
