McInnes Backs Shankland as Rangers Captain
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- Derek McInnes said Lawrence Shankland will have a "big influence" at Rangers whether or not he starts, calling the 30-year-old a "brilliant captain" who accepted that being club captain "does not guarantee anything."
- Lawrence Shankland has scored once for Rangers — a penalty against Polish side Jagiellonia in the Europa League qualifier — and was on the bench for the 5-1 League Cup win over St Mirren, with midfielder Nico Raskin wearing the armband.
- Shankland followed McInnes from Hearts to Ibrox, joining Rangers before his former boss was appointed manager, and has a track record of 20-plus goals per season at Hearts.
- Kosta Nedeljkovic signed for Rangers on a season-long loan from Aston Villa with an obligation to buy, becoming McInnes' 11th summer signing; the 20-year-old Serbia international will compete with Dujon Sterling and Ross McCrorie at right-back.
- Rangers are still working on adding a winger and striker before the transfer window closes, ahead of Thursday's UEFA Conference League play-off first leg against Czech side Jablonec at Ibrox.
Why it matters: Shankland's bench role — with Raskin taking the armband for the League Cup tie — raised immediate questions about whether McInnes, who inherited the captain from the previous regime, rates him as a starter. The manager's public backing signals Shankland remains part of the plan, even as Rangers press on with squad-building (11th signing Nedeljkovic) and chase a winger and striker before the window shuts.
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