Derek McInnes appointment hints at who will be James Tavernier's successor at Rangers

Derek McInnes will have several key decisions to make at Rangers, with one of them being to decide the next captain.

The Light Blues have received a lot of criticism in recent years for the way they have dealt with situations off the field, but in regard to the imminent appointment of McInnes, they deserve credit.

Rangers simply couldn't afford to have their summer disrupted by managerial uncertainty, and their swift move to appoint McInnes has seen them avoid that, assuming everything goes to plan.

Once confirmed, the Gers' new boss will have a number of things on his to-do list at Ibrox.

Ranging from identifying the strengths and weaknesses of his squad, and doing whatever is necessary to address them.

However, selecting his captain for the campaign will be another crucial decision, with James Tavernier having had the armband last season.

Who will be Rangers' next captain?

While he himself received plenty of flack, Tavernier was an excellent captain for Rangers, and his role will need to be adequately replaced.

And there is every chance that the responsibility is handed to Lawrence Shankland.

The Scotland international was McInnes' captain at Hearts for the previous campaign, having had the armand since the end of 2022 following an injury to Craig Gordon.

Not only is Shankland likely to be the starting striker for the Gers in their hunt to return to the summit of Scottish football, but he is certainly one of the outstanding candidates to take on the captaincy at Ibrox.

What is the latest on Derek McInnes appointment?

Rangers' move to hire McInnes is as good as done, according to reports.

With it looking likely that the final step will be for Salzburg to announce the arrival of Danny Rohl, before the Gers can then announce that of McInnes.

It's believed that the Hearts boss will sign a three-year deal with the Light Blues, which is a signal of faith from the 49ers, who will be well aware of just how important it will be for success to be achieved next season.