Hearts say goodbye to two more key men as Rangers McInnes era officially begins

It was only a month ago that Hearts came within minutes of winning the Scottish Premiership, but now they’re set to be picked apart by title rivals Rangers.

The Gers have already signed Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland and now Derek McInnes is set to follow suit.

In the blink of an eye, those at Tynecastle have lost their leader and their manager to one of their biggest title rivals.

Of course, this is all a knock-on effect started by Danny Rohl. The Rangers boss has completed his move to Red Bull Salzburg less than 12 months after he arrived at Ibrox and the McInnes era now officially begins.

It’s a blow for the 49ers and Andrew Cavenagh, who had publicly backed the German, but it’s fair to say they have impressed in the wake of Rohl’s decision, forcing Salzburg into a hefty compensation fee while hijacking McInnes at a lower cost.

Hearts, meanwhile, have been left looking around wondering just where to turn to next. They’ve been sent back to square one and must use Tony Bloom’s date-led thinking to forget all about McInnes and Shankland.

However, the bad news is that Rangers are still after more names.

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Rangers set to welcome two more Hearts figures

As reported by the Rangers Review’s Chris Jack, Rangers are also set to welcome Paul Sheerin and Alan Archibald as part of McInnes’ coaching staff.

It is ruthless from Rangers – the duo accompanied the manager at Hearts and their departure will leave those at Tynecastle scrambling for a manager and two members of backroom staff.

Both coaches have played key roles for McInnes since 2022 and that includes Hearts’ impressive rise last season. Their importance will be highlighted next season if Rangers enjoy a similar transformation.