Derek McInnes Confident in Lawrence Shankland's Impact at Rangers
Derek McInnes insists Lawrence Shankland will be a major figure at Rangers this season – whether he is in the starting XI or not.
The Rangers manager, who made Shankland his captain at Hearts and handed him the same responsibility at Ibrox in the summer, pushed back on any suggestion the armband guarantees game time after leaving the striker on the bench for Sunday’s 5-1 League Cup win over St Mirren.
Shankland watched most of that rout from the sidelines as Nico Raskin led the team out and wore the captain’s armband. The Scotland forward came on in the second half but could not add to his only Rangers goal so far, a penalty against Jagiellonia in the Europa League qualifiers.
McInnes backs his captain
Speaking before Thursday night’s UEFA Conference League play-off first leg against Jablonec at Ibrox, McInnes was clear about the conversation he had with his skipper.
“I said that when I spoke to Lawrence. Being captain does not guarantee anything, and he accepted that,” he explained. “He is not going to stamp his feet about it. Somebody has to be club captain and, having worked with Lawrence before, he is a brilliant captain and a brilliant boy.”
McInnes dismissed any notion of a brewing issue.
“He has a lot to offer. People can maybe look too much into it,” he said. “You want your captain to have a big influence on and off the pitch, and I believe Lawrence will have that.
“For me, it is a non-question, although I understand why people might see more in it.”
Shankland’s slow start in Govan contrasts with his prolific record at Hearts, where he routinely hit 20-plus goals a season in the Premiership. McInnes, though, is in no mood to panic.
“When you have a player like Lawrence, who knows his way around the penalty box and how to score goals, I do not worry too much about it,” he said. “He is too good not to score regularly. He has consistently shown that over a period of time in the Premiership, with 20-odd goals a season at Hearts.
“Sometimes people can overemphasise these things. For me, it is a case of letting him play his natural game.
“The best strikers have that instinctive side to their game, where everything looks natural and seamless. I have no doubt he will do well here.”
Nedeljkovic becomes signing No 11
While questions swirl around the forward line, Rangers quietly strengthened the other end of the pitch.
Earlier on Monday, the club confirmed the arrival of Kosta Nedeljkovic from Aston Villa on a season-long loan, with an obligation to buy. The 20-year-old Serbia international becomes McInnes’ 11th signing of a busy summer and will battle Dujon Sterling and Ross McCrorie for the right-back slot.
“It was a position we identified at the start of pre-season. We looked at various options,” McInnes said. “The club had been reliant on Dujon, who has had his history of injuries, so we wanted to bring in a different type of full-back.
“I’ve got a high opinion of Dujon, but with Kosta you get a player similar to Vanja in a full-back position: real enthusiasm, athleticism and the ability to get up and down the pitch.
“He shows good quality and a real eagerness to play the role. As a young player, there will still be areas to improve, but we’re looking forward to helping him develop.”
Shankland’s goals, Nedeljkovic’s energy, a European play-off looming under the Ibrox lights – McInnes has his pieces. Now comes the real test of how quickly they can all click.
