Rangers shortlist Derek McInnes, Steven Gerrard for manager role

Rangers have added two familiar names to their managerial shortlist: Steven Gerrard, the man who ended the club’s decade-long title drought, and Derek McInnes, who just delivered Hearts their best league finish in 20 years.

The case for each candidate

Gerrard’s Rangers tenure ran from 2018 to 2021, and it’s hard to overstate what he accomplished. He guided the club to the 2020-21 Scottish Premiership title, a campaign so dominant it stopped Celtic from reaching a historic ten consecutive league championships.

McInnes has been Hearts head coach since May 2025, and in roughly one season he steered the Edinburgh club to their highest Premiership finish in two decades. His track record at Aberdeen before Hearts was similarly built on pragmatism and overperformance.

Why this appointment matters beyond the pitch

The club launched the Rangers Fan Token (RFT) on July 5, 2021, through Bitci’s blockchain platform, creating a direct line between on-pitch decisions and fan engagement in the digital space. However, the research notes that fan engagement has not been significantly affected by these managerial discussions, nor is there any direct impact on Rangers’ digital assets including the fan token.

That said, the token market tends to react to official announcements rather than speculation. Until Rangers confirm their choice, the RFT is unlikely to see meaningful movement based on shortlist rumors alone.

The absence of any official confirmation from Rangers as of June 12, 2026, means this remains a waiting game. The shortlist itself reveals the club’s thinking: they want someone who can win now, and they’re willing to look both backward and sideways to find that person.

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