Derek McInnes is set to be unveiled as Rangers' 22nd permanent manager next week, and the 54-year-old will have no shortage of words to express his emotions. He plans to pay tribute to the late Walter Smith, who helped him fulfill his boyhood dream as a player, and to his father Duncan, a diehard Rangers fan who passed away 26 years ago.
Emotional Walter Smith Gesture
McInnes recalled how Smith made his signing from Morton in 1995 special for his family. In a 2021 column, he wrote: "Walter signed me for Rangers from Morton back in 1995 and he recognised that day was as big a day for my dad as it was for me. My dad was a big Rangers supporter and boy he had been to Ibrox hundreds if not thousands of times. But he had never been through the front door or climbed the marble staircase."
After a stringent medical, McInnes found his father sitting with Smith in his office, sharing a beer. "Managers are busy and he could easily have fobbed him off but he sat with him the whole time I was having my medical. Walter made it special and that was something we both appreciated."
Boyhood Dream Fulfilled
McInnes joined Rangers at 21 from Morton in November 1995, becoming part of the legendary nine-in-a-row side. He admitted that despite interest from ten clubs, including Chelsea, Leeds, Everton, and Tottenham, his heart was always with Rangers. "From a young age I was at most home games and a lot of away games," he said in a club magazine interview.
Now, as he prepares to walk up the marble staircase again for his official unveiling, McInnes feels a sense of deja vu. "It is a dream to come into Ibrox but it's funny because I haven't been overawed. Maybe it hasn't sunk in yet."
The Truth Behind the 2017 Knockback
While managing Aberdeen in 2017, McInnes held talks with Rangers but ultimately pulled out. He revealed that Walter Smith played a key role in that decision. "Whenever I had a big career decision to make, Walter Smith was my first phone call. Sometimes my only phone call," McInnes said in 2021.
In 2023, he elaborated: "I did have a long chat with the gaffer [back in 2017]. Listen, I have a story to tell about that whole episode. It's not the time to do it now. I felt that Walter wanted me to be the Rangers manager, but he also had his concerns for me with it."
McInnes added that Smith's advice was invaluable: "He left me in no doubt that it was my decision, but he was involved in every step of the way there."
Return to Ibrox
McInnes will return from a family holiday in the USA next week for his official unveiling. He has been a regular in the stands at Ibrox, and his deep connection to the club played a huge part in his decision to accept the role this time around.
With his experience in the game, McInnes is confident he can handle the pressure. "I knew my place at Rangers. I knew I had to work ten times harder than anybody else just to make a go of it," he said.
