Derek McInnes + left-field boss 'under consideration' for next Rangers manager, clear speculation verdict made

Rangers have reportedly put Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes and a left-field candidate on their radar to become their next manager.

It’s all change at Ibrox as Philippe Clement is sacked as gaffer with club legends in to replace him until the end of the season. Barry Ferguson has stepped up to be caretaker manager while he will be assisted by Billy Dodds, Allan McGregor and Neil McCann returning to the club.

Then in the background, a takeover bid by 49ers Enterprises is in the works as they look to add Rangers to their investment wing after taking control with Leeds United. Ferguson is in the hotseat for now but reports are beginning to emerge that other candidates are on the radar for the long haul.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed Killie boss McInnes - who Rangers face on Wednesday night - and ex-Norwich City boss David Wagner are on the agenda. It’s claimed “David Wagner and Derek McInnes two names under consideration for the summer, by which time Rangers likely to be under new ownership.”

McInnes response

This is not the first time that McInnes has been linked with becoming the manager at his former club. During time at Aberdeen, he was hotly linked with taking on the role after Pedro Caixinha’s calamitous reign but he remained at Pittodrie.

Responding to the speculation, McInnes told Sky Sports: "I am just dealing with the game tomorrow night. I have got to make sure I look after Kilmarnock and do what we need to do here. From my point of view, we still have so many ambitions and targets for this season - we still want to be a top six team and ultimately that is my only concern at the minute.

“It’s always sad to see a manager lose his job. I think he handled the job well and always acted with a lot of class and dignity. But such is the nature of our jobs, if you don’t meet the demands then change will come. But knowing Barry, he is fiercely competitive and I think he will instil that in the team. As a young player coming though at Rangers he was a talented player, we could all see that. But talent only gets you so far at Rangers without a fiercely competitive nature, and I think Barry will be instilling a lot of the in the current team.”

Wagner shout

The German alternative mentioned in reporting started his coaching career in the youth ranks at Borussia Dortmund. He enjoyed success at Huddersfield Town which included a stint in the Premier League before going back to Germany at Schalke. Then it was Young Boys in Switzerland before his last job in management was with Norwich City. As a player, he featured for a host of clubs in Germany.

Canaries Sporting director Ben Knapper said upon moving on from Wagner: “David has operated with class and dignity throughout his period as Norwich City head coach, but we now feel that the time is right for us to move in a different direction.

“We remain committed to progressing our football club, in both the short and long-term, working through a diligent and thorough strategy. The appointment of a new head coach is an important one. We will now work and continue our due diligence with the view of making an appointment in the near future.”