Rangers have added two familiar names to their managerial shortlist: Steven Gerrard, the man who ended the club’s decade-long title drought, and Derek McInnes, who just delivered Hearts their best league finish in 20 years.
The case for each candidate
Gerrard’s Rangers tenure ran from 2018 to 2021, and it’s hard to overstate what he accomplished. He guided the club to the 2020-21 Scottish Premiership title, a campaign so dominant it stopped Celtic from reaching a historic ten consecutive league championships.
McInnes has been Hearts head coach since May 2025, and in roughly one season he steered the Edinburgh club to their highest Premiership finish in two decades. His track record at Aberdeen before Hearts was similarly built on pragmatism and overperformance.
Why this appointment matters beyond the pitch
