Hearts boss Derek McInnes insists he remains completely committed to his role at Tynecastle despite ongoing speculation linking him with the Rangers job. McInnes turned down the opportunity to move to Ibrox eight years ago whilst in charge of Aberdeen, and a revamped Rangers hierarchy now finds itself in a comparable predicament after Steven Gerrard concluded the timing wasn’t suitable for a comeback to the club.
Ex-Rangers midfielder McInnes has been at Tynecastle for fewer than five months but has guided Hearts to the summit of the Scottish Premiership, sitting 11 points clear of the Light Blues following seven fixtures. Kevin Muscat and Danny Rohl seem to be the primary contenders being evaluated by Rangers. However, McInnes would represent a viable choice with priceless understanding of both the club and the division, having steered Aberdeen to four successive second-place campaigns behind Celtic, two of which came when Rangers competed in the top tier.
When questioned about the rumours after collecting the Scottish Premiership manager of the month accolade, McInnes informed Sky Sports News: “In any way of life there’s always that case. For a manager you’re normally fighting speculation off if you’re not winning games about trying to keep your job.
“And normally if you’re doing well then there’s maybe a bit of speculation. Listen, for us, my job here is firmly at Hearts. I’m really enjoying it here. I’ve wanted to be here for a long time, I’m really enjoying my work here.
“We feel we’ve started something now and we want to try and make sure we follow up a strong start to the season and maintain it and see where it takes us. I firmly believe we can be successful here.”
Former Rangers defender Muscat has become the leading contender amid speculation the club is preparing Neil McCann for a temporary role until he can take over from his ex-team–mate.
The Australian has steered Shanghai Port to the summit of the Chinese Super League, sitting two points ahead with four matches remaining. Their domestic campaign concludes on November 22.
The 52-year-old secured a treble with Rangers in 2003 during his sole campaign at Ibrox and has thrived as a boss, claiming championships in Australia, Japan and China with Melbourne Victory, Yokohama F Marinos and Shanghai.
Rohl allegedly made a strong impression on the Rangers board during discussions last week, though naming the 36-year-old German could expose the hierarchy to fan backlash from supporters who questioned Russell Martin’s appointment before demanding his departure during his brief 17-match tenure.
Rohl has gained coaching experience at clubs including Bayern Munich and with the German national side, but his sole managerial background comes from Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship – the same tier where Martin spent the majority of his coaching career.
Another surprise candidate emerged in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following remarks from his former Manchester United colleague, Paul Scholes. On the Good, the Bad and the Football podcast, Scholes revealed: “I was actually with a lad the other night who told me he was actually going to meet Rangers. I’m not sure if he did but his name’s not been mentioned.
“I don’t think he was going for it. They contacted him and he was going to meet them in London the day after.” When former team-mate Nicky Butt suggested the mystery candidate was ex-United boss Solskjaer, Scholes simply responded with a “no comment”.