News Focus
- Derek McInnes agrees to become the new Rangers manager on a three-year contract
- He will leave Heart of Midlothian after guiding them to second place in the Scottish Premiership
- Danny Röhl departs Ibrox to take charge of Austrian side RB Salzburg
- Lawrence Shankland has already joined Rangers from Hearts as the first summer signing
- Rangers players return for pre-season training next week
Derek McInnes will return to Ibrox as the new Rangers manager. The 54-year-old has accepted a three-year deal to take charge of the Glasgow club. He will replace Danny Röhl, who is leaving to manage RB Salzburg in Austria.
Officials are currently finalising the paperwork for McInnes to exit Heart of Midlothian. He led the Edinburgh side to second place in the Scottish Premiership last term. Celtic pipped them to the title on the final day of the season.
McInnes previously played for Rangers during his career. He turned down the chance to manage the club back in 2017. Club chairman Andrew Cavenagh and chief executive Jim Gillespie moved quickly to secure his signature while on a trip to the United States.
Röhl only joined Rangers last October. He replaced Russell Martin when the team sat sixth in the table. He guided them into the title race but they fell short in the final weeks. Salzburg want him to succeed Daniel Beichler. Rangers will only release him if the Austrian club meets their financial demands, as he has two years left on his contract.
Cavenagh and Gillespie watched Scotland play Haiti at the World Cup while in Boston. McInnes was also at the match following his holiday in America. Andrew McKinlay, the chief executive at Hearts, attended as part of a Scottish Football Association delegation.
The squad returns for pre-season training next week. Rangers have already started their summer rebuild. Executive director Fraser Thornton, technical director Dan Purdy and consultant Stig Inge Bjornebye are working with the coaching staff to strengthen the team.
Striker Lawrence Shankland has already completed his transfer from Hearts. The Scotland international scored 20 goals in all competitions last season. He activated a release clause to move to Ibrox for free. He has signed a two-year deal with an option for a further 12 months.