Gareth Taylor makes his last transfer before the season opener (Credits: Imago Images)
Derek McInnes has refused to name a Rangers captain, insisting he wants multiple leaders across his squad rather than relying on one figurehead.
The new Ibrox boss is searching for a skipper after James Tavernier brought an end to his 11-year stint in Govan last month.
Lawrence Shankland is the obvious frontrunner for the armband after McInnes described the summer signing as a “brilliant captain” during their time together at Hearts.
However, McInnes made clear he wants the entire dressing room stacked with leaders rather than placing that burden on any single player.
Ross McCrorie has returned to Rangers from Bristol City, and former boss Steven Gerrard previously described him as a “potential future Rangers captain” during his earlier spell at the club.
McInnes is also a known admirer of Cammy Devlin, who wore the armband twice at Hearts last season, though no contact had been made between Rangers and the Australian midfielder as of Saturday afternoon.
Devlin, who is a free agent after his contract expired at Tynecastle, has a significant offer from Real Salt Lake in MLS, a fresh Hearts proposal, and interest from Turkey on the table.
The 28-year-old is currently on World Cup duty with the Socceroos and has chosen to delay any decision on his future until Australia’s tournament campaign concludes.
When asked directly whether he had settled on a captain, the 54-year-old McInnes kept the competition firmly open with a measured response.
He said: “I think, just similar to what I had at Hearts, Lawrence was the captain but I had a lot of key captains within that.”
McInnes added: “I would like the dressing room to have as many of those types as possible, but there are no conversations, discussions or any real thoughts to that yet.”
He continued: “Hopefully we are going to sign a few players who can have those good qualities as well. Someone needs to take the team down the tunnel.”
McInnes was unambiguous about his broader philosophy, stating: “But Monday to Friday I need as many captains on the training pitch as possible.”
Shankland, 30, proved that kind of leader during his time at Tynecastle, impressing McInnes not just with his goals but with his daily presence and influence on those around him.
McInnes recalled the moment he knew Shankland had the qualities he was looking for, saying: “When he turned up for the pre-season work in Spain, he walked in and could see how he was with the players.”
He added: “The confidence, the maturity, how he trained, how he behaved, how he demanded. How the other players looked up to him was really quite telling for me. He was a brilliant captain, a brilliant player.”
Now both men are at Ibrox, their shared ambition is to end a six-year wait for the Scottish Premiership title and restore Rangers to the top of Scottish football.
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