Scottish Premiership rivals Hearts are on the hunt for a new manager after sacking ex-Rangers striker Steven Naismith.
Naismith was sacked after a run of eight straight defeats which has the Tynecastle club 12th in the Scottish Premiership table and out of the Premier Sports Cup.
Whilst there will be scant sympathy from Rangers given how Steven Naismith quit Ibrox, the sacking comes an interesting juncture in the Scottish league season.
Hearts have comfortably been Scotland’s third force in recent campaigns and with a talented squad about to embark on an eight-game run in the Europa League Conference, the job looks an enticing one.
The sacking also comes amid reports Brighton owner Tony Bloom is considering a £10m investment into the Gorgie side.
Now one outspoken Scottish pundit reckons a leading Scottish manager one day tipped to lead Rangers is perfectly primed to take over in Edinburgh.
Derek McInnes a ‘stick on’ for Hearts interview
Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes is one of the leading Scottish managers of his era and is a stand-out candidate for the Hearts role.
At least that’s according to former Jambos star Michael Stewart, who has tipped his old club to cast an eye towards the former Ibrox midfielder.
Speaking in the wake of Naismith’s sacking, with Hearts fans perhaps casting a glance at Swedish manager Jimmy Thelin’s early success at Aberdeen, Stewart reckons that even with the allure of a creative foreign option, a move for McInnes is a ‘no-brainer’.
“For me, I think Hearts need stability right now,” Stewart told Premier Sports’ Scottish Football Social Club.
“It’s not to say I wouldn’t be looking abroad, because I think you’ve got to cast the net far and wide.
“Perhaps the likes of Knutsen at Bodo/Glimt if you are thinking something like Jimmy Thelin at Aberdeen, or even Rydstrom at Malmo.
“These are guys that are doing very well but they would cost. You would have to spend a bit of money and they might not be wanting to come.
“Then, for me, an absolute stick on that has to be spoken to is Derek McInnes. The guy is the most successful outside of Rangers and Scotland. The most experienced as well.
“And if Tony Bloom is going to be coming to Hearts with a little bit of extra investment and a network that can be tapped into, I think it something Derek McInnes would look at.
“Because, with the greatest respect to Kilmarnock, how much further is he going to be able to take them?
“With Hearts and the potential to push them on, I think it is something he may well look to and consider.”
Wily coach once branded ‘future Rangers manager’
Rangers fans are of course well acquainted with former midfielder Derek McInnes.
The former Aberdeen manager was a troublesome adversary as Dons boss during Rangers’ climb back up the the top of the Scottish Premiership.
The Kilmarnock boss has also routinely proven a wily operator north of the border during his time at Rugby Park, who have returned to Europe since McInnes took over in the Scottish Championship.
In between those stints, McInnes also famously turned Rangers down following an approach to become manager at Ibrox at the end of 2017.
With the 53-year-old once again mentioned as a potential successor to Michael Beale, links between Rangers and McInnes are unlikely to ever go away as a result.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers even tipped Derek McInnes as a ‘future Rangers manager’ ahead of a clash against the Killie boss last season.
“I like Derek a lot,” Rodgers said in August 2023. “He’s a good football man who is honest and wants to develop players.
“There’s no doubt that he’s good enough to manage a top club again. He’s good with players and he knows what he wants.
“He was very close to getting the Rangers job a few years ago and why couldn’t he manage Rangers?
“He’s a former player there, a very good player, who was part of a successful era for the club. So there’s no doubt that could be one for him in the future. Because he’s an outstanding manager.”
If Michael Stewart has his way at least, McInnes will be on the touchline at Tynecastle before we ever see the former 9IAR star back at Ibrox.
