Ross McCrorie has revealed the mentality shift Derek McInnes is instilling at Rangers, describing the manager as a leader who makes players want to 'run through brick walls.' The 28-year-old defender, who rejoined Rangers this summer, knows McInnes better than any current Ibrox player after working under him at Aberdeen. McCrorie insists the gaffer's focus on standards and togetherness is exactly what the club needs to end its trophy drought.
McCrorie Reunited with McInnes
McCrorie, a former Rangers youth product, left the club in 2018 to join Aberdeen, where McInnes persuaded him to move. After a spell at Bristol City, he returned to Rangers this summer. He said: 'The gaffer was the one that gave me that belief to step up and leave Rangers. He came to my house in East Kilbride and persuaded me to go to Aberdeen. He took me under his wing.' McCrorie added that rejoining McInnes was a 'no-brainer' once he got the Rangers job.
'Us Against the World' Mentality
McCrorie recalled a team meeting early in his Aberdeen days that epitomised McInnes's approach. 'It was my first game, there was a lot of stuff around Covid. He took us on the pitch at St Johnstone and brought in all the players. It was an us against the world mentality and I think you’re going to have to bring that in here as well because it’s going to be tough. It’s not an easy club to play for and the gaffer has got all the ability for that.'
Demanding Standards and Ruthless Edge
McCrorie highlighted the manager's emphasis on standards. 'The gaffer’s all about standards. We had a little mini-team meeting on the pitch the other day and he’s just demanding standards. I think that’s what you need. We need to have that ruthless edge to us this season and the upcoming seasons if we want to be successful. I don’t think, I know he is the man to lead us forward.'
A More Experienced McCrorie
Now 28, McCrorie says he has matured significantly since his first spell at Rangers. 'I’m not really that smiley face wee boy back in the day who was just excited to be a Rangers player. I’m coming back more experienced and a far better player tenfold. I want to help impact things, create the standards that a successful Rangers team takes. Second is a failure. If you play for Rangers, you’ve got to live and breathe it.'
