Slot expects players like Virgil van Dijk to guide the new players through the derby experience (Credits: Imago Images)
Nine years after famously turning down the Rangers job, Derek McInnes is finally preparing to be unveiled as just the 22nd manager in the club’s history.
The boyhood supporter and former Ibrox midfielder shocked Scottish football when he rejected the role back in 2017, turning back before crossing the threshold due to concerns over working under then chairman Dave King.
It was the never-ending turmoil off the pitch that convinced McInnes’s head to ignore what his heart was telling him, and the players waiting on his arrival were left stunned.
Kenny Miller was among those inside the dressing room at the time, recalling a sense of absolute certainty that McInnes would leave Aberdeen to replace Pedro Caixinha as Rangers manager.
Miller told Record Sport: “Looking back, as players we were literally just waiting on him coming in through the door.”
The former Ibrox striker remembered the extended uncertainty well, saying: “It was a long saga if I remember rightly and it dragged on for a while.”
Miller added: “There was a bit of disappointment in the dressing room because we all thought it was a formality, you know with Derek being an ex-Rangers player and a Rangers fan.”
Now McInnes arrives at Ibrox having come within minutes of leading Hearts to their first league title since 1960, cementing his reputation as one of Scotland’s most consistent managers.
Miller believes the intervening nine years have made McInnes a significantly stronger candidate than the one who famously walked away in 2017, with hundreds more games of management now behind him.
The Maccabi Tel Aviv interim boss, who won five trophies across three spells at Ibrox himself, said: “Del’s more experienced now. He’s had another few jobs since that period in 2017. He’s got a few hundred more games under his belt too.”
Miller pointed to McInnes’s consistent record as the key reason Rangers ownership were convinced, noting strong performances at Kilmarnock before his transformative single season at Tynecastle.
“He’s done a wonderful job at Kilmarnock having come back in after his time at Aberdeen,” Miller said, before highlighting just how close Hearts came to ending a six-decade title drought.
Miller said: “They were a kick of the ball away from winning it really. So he’s always maintained a level to his work and I think that the fact that he’s displayed that in our league, I think the owners have been looking at it and been impressed.”
McInnes’s decision to leave Tynecastle means his return trip along the M8 on October 28 is likely to be a fiery occasion, but Miller has no doubt the new Rangers boss understands the scale of the challenge ahead.
Miller said: “He’ll realise how important it is that he needs to deliver success, especially quickly. There’s not going to be any kind of settling in time.”
McInnes meets his new players for the first time on Thursday, leaving just over a month to prepare the squad for a July 31 Premiership opener at Tannadice.
Miller said: “You don’t want to be losing ground — but Derek knows all of this. I’m sure he’ll have them well prepared.”
Miller was clear that the appointment suits both parties, saying Rangers have cycled through too many managers over recent years and that stability is now the most critical ingredient for success.
“What they’ve got with Derek is somebody who’s proven they can compete in our league, someone who knows the league inside out,” Miller said, underlining confidence in the new man’s credentials.
Miller concluded: “He’s been in the building as a player, he knows exactly how heavy the blue jersey is. So to me, the appointment seems a good fit.”
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