Derek McInnes lands 'nice little Rangers present' but has key decision to make

The Ibrox side activated a break clause in Shankland’s contract, allowing them to pinch one of the stand-out performers this season for basically nothing.

It was yet another body blow for Hearts and McInnes after losing the Premiership title to Celtic on the final day of the season, losing their top goalscorer, talismanic striker and captain.

Football never ceases to surprise and McInnes will have Shankland at his disposal for the next campaign after joining the Scotland hitman in Govan as manager, with the Ranges board raiding Tynecastle once more.

Shankland is currently with the Scotland squad as they await their World Cup fate, and McInnes was in the USA earlier in the month on holiday as he took some downtime following an epic title quest that so narrowly failed.

“He sent me a couple of messages,” explained McInnes. “I was keeping in touch with him about the World Cup and his involvement. Then he sent me a wee message saying: ‘I’ll maybe see you in a couple of weeks….’ with a couple of wee eyes. And I never answered that ... but we’ve since spoken and delighted.

“There was a lot going on. The first week of my holiday was really good, I enjoyed it and it was straightforward. Everything then caught fire, really, and it’s nice to be here. I’m looking forward to working with all the boys who were away on international duty.”

Shankland’s return will be eagerly anticipated. McInnes has worked with the 30-year-old at Hearts and also Aberdeen. He knows how to get him fit and firing - and has the added incentive of having the player at his boyhood club.

“Lawrence being here is an added bonus; someone I know really well and on the back of the season he had,” continued McInnes. “He missed three months. For me, if he hadn’t been injured for those three months he would have got his 30 goals and arguably been the player of the season.

The ‘nice little present’

“But he came back at the right time and obviously scored some goals towards the back end of the season as well. He’s obviously taken it on to now to the World Cup. To get Lawrence, to work with him again is great. It was disappointing at the time, as the Hearts manager, but equally now it’s a nice little present to turn up to.

“A few seasons ago under Naisy [former Hearts manager Steven Naismith], I thought that Lawrence was brilliant. The season where he shouldered so much responsibility at Hearts, he was the only one who was really scoring regularly.

“Then the season before I arrived, it wasn’t quite so good for him. I used to watch him doing interviews and I could see the weight of responsibility on him, that burden. And I thought that was unfair on him. That he was the only player at Hearts expected to score goals. I thought he needed a bit of help.

“I’ve known Lawrence since he was a young boy. Obviously signed him at Aberdeen. And when I signed him for last season, it was the gravitas. When he turned up for the pre-season work in Spain, he walked in and I could see how he was with the players. The confidence, the maturity, how he trained, how he behaved, how he demanded. How the other players looked up to him was really quite telling for me. He was a brilliant captain, a brilliant player.

“I think he had a really strong season. But he was playing in a good team that was able to support him. And there were other players there who were chipping in with goals and taking responsibility for Hearts. I think it’s important that you don’t put too much pressure on any player. But Lawrence is a proven goalscorer at Premiership level and he should be someone who will put targets on himself and meet them in a Rangers shirt.”

McInnes could lean on Shankland once more for captaincy duties. There is a glaring vacancy in that department after long-term skipper James Tavernier ended his 11-year association with the club last month. The manager has yet to settle upon - publicly at least - a successor and wants multiple leaders in his dressing room.

“I think, just similar to what I had at Hearts, Lawrence was the captain but I had a lot of key captains within that,” said McInnes. “I would like the dressing room to have as many of those types as possible. But there are no conversations, discussions or any real thoughts to that yet. I’ve not given it too much thought at the minute. I’m sure that once I get to know the players …

“Obviously Lawrence has been my captain in the past. Hopefully we are going to sign a few players who can have those good qualities as well. Someone needs to take the team down the tunnel. But Monday to Friday I need as many captains on the training pitch as possible.”