Marcus Tavernier had a tough start to life in professional football, as he was released by Newcastle United back in 2013. 

Speaking in an interview with the Scottish Daily Record, Tavernier revealed how tough he found his release from the Magpies, and revealed that his brother (James Tavernier) helped him in his quest to find a new club.

Tavernier went on to secure a permanent deal with Middlesbrough in 2013, which came after a six-week trial period with the Championship club.

"I remember sitting in my bathroom and I cried for half an hour because all I wanted to do was play football.

"My brother spoke to me and told me that if I really wanted it, I had to go out and get it. That picked me up. I got the call from Middlesbrough and I haven’t looked back since."

Tavernier went on to state that he had an offer from Scottish giants Rangers before he made his move to Middlesbrough a permanent one, and revealed that he wasn't aware of the stature of Rangers before turning down their offer.

"Funnily enough, when I was on that six-week trial at Boro, Rangers actually called me up and they wanted me to go there. I could have been there before James!"

"I planned to go up to Glasgow but Middlesbrough was so close to home and I liked everything about the club.

"Back then, I had no idea how big Rangers are. I didn’t really know anything about them before my brother went there."

Tavernier has made 29 appearances for Boro this season, and will be hoping that he can help fire them up the Championship table after a recent dip in form.

Jonathan Woodgate's side are currently sat 18th in the second-tier standings, and will be keen to pull themselves clear of the relegation zone as soon as possible.

Middlesbrough are next in action on Saturday when they take on relegation-threatened Barnsley at Oakwell, in what could be a season-defining game for both sides.

Can you name these Middlesbrough players by looking at their previous clubs? Test your knowledge in our quiz!

The Verdict: 

Middlesbrough fans will be delighted to hear that he chose them over Rangers.

There's no doubting that Rangers are a club with impressive stature in football, but they won't be too frustrated by Tavernier's decision to join Middlesbrough instead.

The midfielder hasn't been at his consistent best this season, and will be hoping to find some consistency in his performances under the guidance of Jonathan Woodgate at the earliest of opportunities.

If he can do that, then it certainly wouldn't come as a surprise to me if he attracted interest from other clubs in the future.