Ambitious Derek McInnes unveiled as Rangers manager
Derek McInnes feels like he "belongs" at Rangers and is determined to win the Scottish Premiership title as soon as possible.
McInnes came within minutes of winning the league with Hearts in 2025-2026, but a final-day defeat to Celtic saw his side miss out on the trophy.
Rangers were in the title race under Danny Rohl, who left for Salzburg after just eight months in charge at Ibrox, despite a terrible start to the season under Russell Martin, but a late collapse then saw them finish third.
McInnes, who has signed a three-year deal through to 2029, served as a player at Rangers between 1995 and 2000, and supported the club as a child. He is excited to try and get them back on top in the league for the first time since 2020-2021.
"It's a very special moment for myself, my family. There's a lot of people I can think of on a day like this, but having known the club for a long time, supported the club, I'm well aware of the responsibility that being manager brings," McInnes said.
"So, I am excited to get going. I feel as though it's the right time for me, and I feel I'm ready for it. I feel as if I belong here, and I'm ready to get going with it, and looking forward to just getting started.
"We want to try and deliver a team that meets the demand here. I feel as though the Rangers fans – we've won one title in 15 years – they've suffered for a long time, and it's up to us to try now and play a key role in driving the standards and get a winning Rangers team on the pitch more often than not.
"Becoming Rangers manager is something that I always wanted to do. The call was a surprise when it came about because, obviously, the manager was in place here. I was on my holiday and things kind of kicked off, and it was a busy five or six days in between.
"Becoming Rangers manager is something I've always wanted, and I feel so comfortable with the decision that was made, and being here feels right.
"The job here is to win. I'm not going to talk about philosophies. The intention is just to win – we need to win here.
"The intention is to win the title as quickly as possible."
McInnes is Rangers' 22nd permanent manager and their seventh in the last eight years after struggling to get their hands on the title.
Rangers will kick off the Scottish Premiership season with a trip to Dundee United on 31 July.
