Derek McInnes has made his choice on Rangers captaincy after Johor Darul Ta'zim draw

Derek McInnes looks to have decided the future of the Rangers captaincy.

James Tavernier was the club captain at Ibrox, but he departed at the end of his contract in June.

The Gers have several players in their squad capable of leading the side in the future, or so many think.

Ibrox News has covered the destination of the armband at Rangers on a few occasions heading into the new season.

It appears that McInnes may have made his call after the pre-season friendly with Johor Darul Ta'zim on 16 July in Spain.

The Bears drew 2-2 on Friday, but one aspect of the contest may be more intriguing than the action on the pitch.

Who is prime contender for Rangers captaincy after Johor Darul Ta'zim scenes?

New signing Dan Neil had the captaincy for the first-half of the previous friendly with Kaizer Chiefs.

However, Lawrence Shankland wore the armband in the second-half of that 1-1 draw with the South Africans.

Now, against the Malaysian side, the Scotsman was handed the leadership role once again from the start of the contest, per David Edgar.

He was McInnes' captain at Hearts, so it makes sense that he would give him the honour again in his new role.

Why Shankland is the perfect captain for Rangers

Shankland would be an ideal captain for the Gers, for a number of reasons.

Firstly, he knows what it means to play for the Govan club and the expectations from supporters, because he was one growing up.

Secondly, he has experience in a leadership role from his time at Tynecastle, where he served as skipper from December 2022.

Finally, he leads from the front, and his goals are likely to put the Gers in winning positions in the upcoming campaign.

Of course, he may well just be testing out the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate for the leadership position.

However, the fact that the 30-year-old has already been named as captain twice in two matches, is a positive indication for his own chances.

Only time will tell, whether the striker is named as Tavernier's ultimate successor, but it would be a popular move amongst the fanbase in G51.

One thing is for sure, McInnes does not seem to trust those who were previously at the club, which suggests that he is trying to shift the mentality.