Derek McInnes has rubbished doubts about Cammy Devlin's quality as he admitted relief over failing to persuade the Australian to stay at Hearts. Devlin, 28, has joined Rangers on a two-year deal with an option for a third after his Tynecastle contract expired, following McInnes and former Jambos skipper Lawrence Shankland to Ibrox.
McInnes Spent Months Trying to Keep Devlin at Hearts
McInnes, who left Hearts at the end of last season, revealed he spent the final months of his tenure in the capital trying to negotiate a new contract for Devlin. The midfielder, a key figure in the side that came within three minutes of winning the club's first title in 66 years, ultimately rejected offers from the MLS to reunite with his former boss.
"When you work closely with players, you've always got that added advantage. You don't just see what you get on a Saturday, you see them day in, day out," McInnes said. "And for me, Cammy brings so much. As a free agent, it made so much sense to us. I was trying to convince Cammy for most of the season to stay at Hearts. But the longer that went on, the more I thought he was looking at other opportunities. There was a few opportunities maybe abroad for him. But getting him to come and work with us again, I'm really pleased with that."
McInnes Hits Back at Sceptical Rangers Fans
The new Ibrox boss has hit back at fans who question whether Devlin is good enough to play for Rangers. He insisted the Socceroos World Cup ace ticks all the boxes and will raise the standards of those around him. "If I didn't think he could do the job that's going to be asked of him, I wouldn't be signing him, even as much as I like him," McInnes declared. "What Cammy does is bring a day-to-day mindset, a day-to-day mentality that's so needed at this club. It's so required that you need to train with personality, you need to train properly, you need to put the demand on. And he'll bring all that."
Devlin's Impact at Hearts Praised
McInnes highlighted Devlin's ability to make teammates better, noting that many forward players at Hearts received plaudits due to the team's collective effort, with Devlin playing a big part. "There's no coincidence that a lot of our forward players last season at Hearts got so many credits and plaudits. Because behind that was a team. And Cammy was a big part of that," he said. "His ability to make the guys round about him better, just by being him and being very simple, playing with passion, playing with enthusiasm, playing with a real competitive nature. But he also plays with, he's a proper team-mate in a true sense. The players will love him as soon as he comes in."
McInnes added that injuries to Devlin and Shankland likely cost Hearts the title last season. "Arguably if Cammy and Lawrence Shankland don't get significant injuries last season, we could probably have won the league, but losing their impact was clear. So both of them had strong seasons, but both Lawrence and Cammy are good types. And I do think that it's more than just being a good player, you need to thrive here. We can't always just sign players of that ilk, but if you've not got enough of them in the building, you're not going to get the job done, I don't think."
Souttar and Danilo Set to Leave Rangers
While Devlin is set to arrive at Ibrox after a short holiday following World Cup duties, John Souttar and Danilo are edging towards the exit. Both men have skipped Rangers' training camp in Spain as they close in on moves away. Scotland defender Souttar has interest from English clubs, while Greek and Dutch clubs are pursuing Brazilian striker Danilo. Souttar, 29, had been a regular since joining from Hearts in 2022 but dropped out of the starting line-up under Danny Rohl and failed to play for Scotland at the World Cup. Danilo, who joined from Feyenoord for £6 million in 2023, spent the second half of last season on loan at NEC Nijmegen.
