Dave McPherson believes that incoming Rangers manager Derek McInnes is the right man for the job and will rise to the challenge of rebuilding the club.
The 54-year-old is expected to sign a three-year deal at Ibrox, with current boss Danny Rohl finalizing his own move to RB Salzburg after leading the team since October.
McInnes, a former Rangers player of five years, previously turned down the chance to manage the club he supported as a boy while at Aberdeen in 2017. However, he is now set to leave Hearts for Rangers following a season where he guided the Tynecastle side close to winning the William Hill Premiership.
A six-figure compensation fee has been agreed between the clubs, and the deal is all but complete, with McInnes set to sign a three-year contract.
“Rangers need a bit of stability,” McPherson, who made 276 appearances for Gers across two spells, told the Press Association on Sunday.
“Derek has proven—not just at Hearts but at his previous clubs—that he can build a strong team, get the best out of players, and deliver results. That’s exactly what Rangers need right now.
“He would have been my choice for the Rangers job years ago, but I think his time at Hearts has only reinforced how good a manager he is.
“Rangers are there to be rebuilt, and I think it’s a good time for a Scottish manager—and someone who played for the club—to come in and say, ‘right, I can start from the ground up and build something significant here.’
“He’ll have some funds available, but it will still come down to recruitment. You have to bring in the right players, and that’s where Rangers have fallen short in the past.
“Look at the job he did at Hearts last season—it was a fantastic setup, and everyone wanted to play for him. He got the best out of his players, and if he can bring that same approach to Rangers, then we’ll see a good Rangers team next season.”
Rangers have already signed Lawrence Shankland from Hearts and are also targeting Claudio Braga. Shankland has been tipped to become the new Rangers captain, according to Heart and Hand. While making a new signing captain would be surprising, it would align with McInnes’s desire to instill the mentality from his Hearts squad at Ibrox.
The striker has signed a two-year deal in Glasgow and will officially join when the transfer window opens on Monday. Shankland, who started for Scotland in their World Cup opener against Haiti, scored 20 goals in 34 appearances for Hearts last season.
James Taverner’s departure leaves Rangers without a captain ahead of the squad’s return to pre-season on June 22, with their Premiership campaign beginning on the first weekend of August.
