Ex-Ibrox scout hails McInnes for reviving Rangers’ old signing blueprint

A former Rangers chief scout believes Derek McInnes is reviving the recruitment principles that underpinned the club’s most successful era, as the new Ibrox boss builds his squad around leadership and character rather than star names.

Neil Murray, who won four league titles under Walter Smith in the 1990s before working as Rangers’ chief scout, says he recognises a familiar pattern developing in the early weeks of the McInnes reign. According to the Daily Record, Murray sees the new manager assembling a squad with a strong Scottish and British core, littered with players who have captained clubs at various levels.

Leadership at the heart of the plan

Murray points to targets such as Ben Godfrey, who was made stand-in captain at Norwich while still just 21 in the Premier League, and Dan Neil, who skippered Sunderland to promotion via the play-offs in the 2024/25 season. Lawrence Shankland, who led Hearts to within touching distance of a title under McInnes, and Ross McCrorie, whom McInnes made vice-captain at Aberdeen, are further examples of the theme, while transfer target Lewis Ferguson captains Bologna in Serie A and carries Rangers bloodline through family connections.

Murray told the Daily Record: “McInnes is a good appointment for Rangers because he clearly understands the club and their demands. Other managers who come in face a steep learning curve in that sense. When I was scouting, we always looked for leaders or captains in their own right. We signed ‘Captain America’ Carlos Bocanegra and Dorin Goian, who captained Romania from time to time.”

He added: “We were also interested in and looked at Gareth McAuley years before he eventually arrived – a captain type and great talker. These are always important for Rangers. For me, Shankland will be great in that respect, scoring goals and leading by example. In some ways, maybe Rangers have been missing that.”

Learning from across the city

Murray also drew a comparison with rivals Celtic, highlighting how figures such as James Forrest, Kieran Tierney and Callum McGregor have set standards at Parkhead over long periods. He believes Rangers must adopt a similar approach when it comes to recruitment.

“You look at Celtic, who have James Forrest who has been there a long time. Kieran Tierney knows the club inside out and Callum McGregor has had incredible success as captain. These are the guys who set standards for Celtic,” Murray said. “Those who come in have to be aware of what Celtic require. That’s how Rangers need to approach things a little bit. Bring in the right people – not necessarily superstars or extravagant footballers. Committed characters are also important. Because it just keeps the standard high in a dressing room.”

The theme extends to other names on Rangers’ radar, with Serbian target Vanja Dragojevic already captaining Partizan Belgrade at just 20 years old. Murray recalled how a young Alan McLaren wore the armband at Hearts as a teenager before joining Rangers at 23, going on to lift the title at Tannadice as part of the club’s nine-in-a-row triumphs.

“Richard Gough was the captain in that dressing room but you also had Bomber (John Brown) who was a winner too,” Murray said. “Stuart McCall, Ian Ferguson and, although people kind of overlook strikers at times, Mark Hateley and Ally McCoist were as determined as anyone on the pitch. That was a real strength of ours. And McLaren then fitted in seamlessly. That was very much the characteristic you wanted at the heart of the team. A squad with captain-type mentality players.”

Hearts blueprint offers reassurance

Murray believes McInnes quickly stamped his identity on Hearts during his single season at Tynecastle, building a togetherness he contrasts with what he describes as squabbling he witnessed at Rangers during difficult spells. That sense of unity, he suggests, will be central to McInnes’s attempts to turn Rangers back into genuine title challengers following a period of underachievement since Steven Gerrard’s departure from Ibrox.

“McInnes has a clear vision of what he wants. At Hearts, it wasn’t just about team selection and formations. It was about galvanising that team spirit,” Murray said. “Because you can’t keep that momentum going if it’s a flash in the pan. Derek is clearly a good man-manager to get a tune out of teams consistently. And, at Hearts, you saw a manager and his players all pulling in the same direction. Last season they were very strong in the spine of the team.”

He continued: “These guys were important to drive things on and set the standards when the manager’s not looking. Watching Hearts last season, they’d make mistakes. But none of the players would moan and complain about each other. They would motivate each other to go again and get goals back. There was a real determination. And I can tell you, that comes from the management and their leaders. Quite often at Rangers, you’d see them pointing the fingers at each other.”

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