Ross McCrorie has opened up on how Derek McInnes intends to transform the mentality at Rangers and drive them toward sustained success this season.
The 28-year-old defender has returned to Ibrox after spells at Aberdeen and Bristol City, reuniting with the manager who persuaded him to leave Rangers six years ago.
McCrorie knows McInnes better than any current player in the squad, having worked closely under him at Pittodrie before making the move south to England in 2023.
Having witnessed the manager’s team-building qualities at close quarters, it came as no surprise to McCrorie that players were quickly gathered at Auchenhowie to hear what standards would be expected.
He recalled a formative moment from his early days at Aberdeen that illustrated exactly the kind of culture McInnes builds around his squads.
McCrorie explained: “The gaffer is a great man-manager, he’s top in that instance. He’s a real leader of men.”
He continued: “At Aberdeen, I remember it was my first game, there was a lot of stuff around Covid at the time. He took us on the pitch at St Johnstone, brought in all the players.”
McCrorie added: “It was an us against the world mentality and I think you’re going to have to bring that in here as well because that’s what it’s going to be at times, it’s going to be tough here.”
The defender was clear that McInnes has already begun instilling those same principles at Rangers, with an early on-pitch meeting setting the tone for what lies ahead.
McCrorie said: “The gaffer’s all about standards. We had a little mini-team meeting on the pitch the other day and he’s just demanding standards. I think that’s what you need.”
He went on to say: “We need to have that ruthless edge to us this season and the upcoming seasons if we want to be successful and I think the gaffer’s the man to lead us forward. I don’t think, I know he is.”
McCrorie was equally emphatic about the personal loyalty McInnes inspires, describing his effect in vivid terms that explained why the reunion felt inevitable.
He said: “As a man, he makes you want to run through brick walls for him. That’s the kind of feeling you get and, as soon as I got the opportunity to work with him again, for me it was a bit of a no-brainer.”
The defender also reflected on his original departure from Ibrox, revealing that McInnes personally visited his home in East Kilbride to convince him to make the move to Aberdeen.
McCrorie said: “The gaffer was the one that gave me that belief to step up and leave Rangers. The gaffer actually came to my house away out in East Kilbride at the time and he was the one that persuaded me to go up to Aberdeen.”
Despite receiving several offers from English clubs this summer, McCrorie said the moment McInnes was appointed at Rangers made his decision straightforward.
He said: “I had a good few offers back down in England, but for me, as soon as the gaffer got the job here, I knew he was the man to take this club forward and he was good for it.”
McCrorie was keen to stress he returns as a vastly different player from the one who left, with experience and maturity now defining his outlook on the game.
He added: “I’m not really that smiley face wee boy back in the day who was just excited to be a Rangers player. I’m coming back more experienced. I’m coming back a far better player tenfold than what I was back in the day.”
The defender left no doubt about the ambition driving his return, stating plainly that winning silverware is the sole motivation behind his decision to come back to Glasgow.
McCrorie concluded: “If you play for Rangers, any competition you go into, you want to win. That’s the target. Second is a failure. If you’re a Rangers player, you’ve got to live and breathe it. As long as we’ve got that mentality, we’ll get there.”
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