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Derek McInnes has expressed relief that his attempts to keep Cammy Devlin at Hearts ultimately failed, allowing him to bring the midfielder to Rangers instead.
The Australian international has signed a two-year deal at Ibrox, with the option of a third year, after departing Tynecastle upon the expiry of his contract.
Devlin, 28, turned down offers from MLS to follow McInnes to Govan, reuniting with the manager he served under during his time in Edinburgh.
McInnes spent much of his final months at Hearts trying to negotiate a new deal for the combative midfielder, but those efforts proved unsuccessful.
The Rangers boss now views that failure as a fortunate turn of events, given that it opened the door for the Ibrox move to materialise.
McInnes said: “I was trying to convince Cammy for most of the season to stay at Hearts, but the longer that went on, the more I thought he was looking at other opportunities.”
The former Tynecastle gaffer was quick to dismiss doubts from sections of the Rangers support who have questioned whether Devlin is capable of performing at the required level.
McInnes declared: “If I didn’t think he could do the job that’s going to be asked of him, I wouldn’t be signing him, even as much as I like him.”
Devlin was a key figure in the Hearts side that came within three minutes of winning the club’s first league title in 66 years last season, before significant injuries disrupted their campaign.
McInnes pointed to the midfielder’s influence on those around him as a major reason for the signing, saying: “I do think Cammy’s got the ability to make others round about him better.”
The Rangers manager highlighted Devlin’s consistent day-to-day attitude as something the club urgently requires, stating: “What Cammy does is bring a day-to-day mindset, a day-to-day mentality that’s so needed at this club.”
McInnes also reflected on the collective impact Devlin and Lawrence Shankland had at Hearts, noting: “Arguably if Cammy and Lawrence Shankland don’t get significant injuries last season, we could probably have won the league.”
Shankland has also made the move from Tynecastle to Ibrox, with both players now linking up with their former manager at the Glasgow club.
Devlin will join the squad after a short holiday following his World Cup duties with the Socceroos, as Rangers continue their pre-season training camp in Spain.
While new arrivals are settling in, defender John Souttar and forward Danilo are both edging closer to departures from Ibrox this summer.
Souttar, 29, has attracted interest from clubs in England after losing his place in the starting lineup during the final weeks of the season under Danny Rohl.
The Scotland international also failed to make an appearance off the bench during his country’s disappointing World Cup campaign, raising questions about his standing at the club.
Danilo, signed for £6 million from Feyenoord in 2023, has struggled to justify that fee and spent the second half of last season on loan at NEC Nijmegen.
Clubs in Greece and Holland are now pursuing the Brazilian striker, making his exit from Rangers appear increasingly likely before the summer transfer window closes.
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