Heart of Midlothian have confirmed that Derek McInnes has left his position as head coach to join Rangers, a club he supported as a boy.
Paisley-born McInnes (pictured) made it clear that he wished to pursue this opportunity and, following discussions between the clubs, Rangers met the requested compensation terms required to facilitate his departure, along with his assistants Alan Archibald and Paul Sheerin.
A statement said: “Derek, Alan and Paul leave with our thanks for the contribution they made during their time at Tynecastle. Last season represented an important step forward for the club and they played a valued role in that progress.
“The club’s ambitions, direction and commitment to success remain unchanged. Our progress has been driven by a clear strategy, significant investment, and strong foundations that extend far beyond any one individual. Those foundations remain firmly in place and provide the platform for the next phase of our development.
“Succession planning is a continuous process and preparations for this eventuality have already been undertaken. A number of candidates have been identified and the process of appointing a new Head Coach has already begun, with the aim of making the right appointment as swiftly as possible.
“This remains an exciting period for Heart of Midlothian. The club is in a strong position, and we are focused on building on the progress achieved to date. We are committed to appointing a Head Coach who can drive further improvement, and help deliver the success our supporters expect and deserve.
“Everyone at Heart of Midlothian remains fully focused on the work ahead and on ensuring the club is in the strongest possible position to achieve its long-term ambitions.”
The statement added: “There will be no further comment until a new appointment has been made.”
Rangers confirmed the appointment of 54-year-old McInnes as their new men’s first-team manager on a three-year contract.
Their statement said: “The club welcomes Derek back to Ibrox as he joins from Heart of Midlothian. He brings with him vast managerial experience, having taken charge of over 800 matches, and an understanding of what it means to win at Rangers, after playing here for five largely successful seasons from 1995 to 2000.
“His managerial career began in 2007 at St Johnstone, and he has gone on to have spells at Bristol City, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and most recently Hearts, where he was named PFA Scotland, SPFL and SFWA Manager of the Year.
“Joining with Derek will be assistants Alan Archibald, Paul Sheerin and Craig Clark.”
McInnes said: “It is a real honour to become the manager of Rangers Football Club. It is no secret that I grew up a Rangers supporter, and I am convinced this is the right time to take on this prestigious role given the club’s structure, and leadership from Andrew, the Board, and Jim.
“The demands here are clear, and our supporters rightfully have high expectations. It is up to me, my staff and my players to meet those expectations, and have this club performing as it should.
“There is a lot of hard work ahead, but already the preparations have begun, and I am looking forward to meeting the current squad in the coming weeks and welcoming some new faces.”
Andrew Cavenagh, Rangers’ chairman, commented: “I am delighted to welcome Derek to Rangers. He is someone we have always rated highly, and we believe he is exactly what this club needs at this moment in time.
“His deep Scottish and Rangers experience are important for us. He knows how to win in this league, and he is coming off an extremely strong season with Hearts.”
Rangers’ chief executive officer, Jim Gillespie, said: “Derek understands what this club stands for, and the standards required to succeed here.
“We are very pleased that we were able to get Derek in position prior to pre-season training beginning. With Derek’s addition to the team, we will continue to drive forward to make this club win consistently.”
