What Derek McInnes has said about managing Rangers as Danny Rohl exit news emerges
Rangers should not be confident about hiring Derek McInnes as Danny Rohl's successor based on his past quotes.
Rohl is currently in talks with Austrian club RB Salzburg, just seven months after he joined Rangers.
The German, who was linked with a move to Wolfsburg only a few weeks ago, could depart if RB Salzburg meets Rangers' compensation demands.
Rangers could be looking for their third permanent manager in their first year of ownership under chairman Andrew Cavenagh, and McInnes' work at Hearts means he will be linked with the job.
McInnes, who spent five years at Ibrox during his playing career, came tantalisingly close to ending Hearts' 66-year wait to lift the league in his first season in charge, with Celtic claiming the title on the final day.
Hearts also finished eight points above Rangers, and their success has already seen the Gers secure the signing of their striker Lawrence Shankland.
Derek McInnes has dismissed Rangers talk
McInnes was linked with the Rangers job when Russell Martin was sacked last October before Rohl was appointed.
Speaking about the speculation at the time, McInnes told STV Sport: "I love it here. It’s been a long time for me coming here. I always thought this was a job that I wanted to be at.
"I’m working with some good people, I mentioned a few there, the support from Graeme Jones and the board, but the players have been first class in terms of their efforts day in and day out, and, I think for us, we feel we can be successful here, we really do."
It is not the first time that McInnes has been touted for the Rangers job, with the 54-year-old having not taken the opportunity to move back to Glasgow during his time at both Aberdeen and Kilmarnock.
Former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard could also be among the front-runners if Rohl departs, and Football Insider has delved into what the Liverpool legend has said about returning to Ibrox.
Why would Derek McInnes want to stay at Hearts?
Hearts' second-placed finish in the Scottish Premiership means that McInnes has the opportunity to lead the club into Europe next season.
The Edinburgh club will begin in the second Champions League qualifying round, where they will play either Fenerbahce or Sturm Graz.
With Tony Bloom, and his Jamestown Analytics company, owning a 29 per cent share in the club, McInnes should not be worried about losing Shankland.
Hearts have already been active in the market, and are being ambitious in their attempts to stop Celtic from winning a sixth consecutive league title.