Derek McInnes and his regime have moved quickly to return to a tried-and-tested Rangers transfer policy.
That's the view of former Ibrox chief scout Neil Murray who was also a big part of the club's squad in the 90s. McInnes has sanctioned the signings of UK-based leaders since he arrived.
Lawrence Shankland, the former Hearts captain, also arrived just before his ex-boss while Ross McCrorie and Ben Godfrey have both been welcomed to the club in recent weeks. All, Murray says, have the leadership qualities Gers had while he was a player during the halcyon days of Walter Smith's tenure.
Murray told the Sunday Mail: “McInnes is a good appointment for Rangers because he clearly understands the club and their demands.
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“Other managers who come in face a steep learning curve in that sense. When I was scouting, we always looked for leaders or captains in their own right. We signed ‘Captain America’ Carlos Bocanegra and Dorin Goian, who captained Romania from time to time.
“We were also interested in and looked at Gareth McAuley years before he eventually arrived – a captain type and great talker. These are always important for Rangers.
“For me, Shankland will be great in that respect, scoring goals and leading by example. In some ways, maybe Rangers have been missing that.
“You look at Celtic, who have James Forrest who has been there a long time. Kieran Tierney knows the club inside out and Callum McGregor has had incredible success as captain. These are the guys who set standards for Celtic.
“Those who come in have to be aware of what Celtic require. That’s how Rangers need to approach things a little bit. Bring in the right people – not necessarily superstars or extravagant footballers.
“Committed characters are also important. “Because it just keeps the standard high in a dressing room.”
On the history of Rangers signing winners, Murray hopes the current crop can live up to the same standard. And he reflected on previous leaders he worked with.
He added: "Richard Gough was the captain in that dressing room but you also had Bomber (John Brown) who was a winner too.
“Stuart McCall, Ian Ferguson and, although people kind of overlook strikers at times, Mark Hateley and Ally McCoist were as determined as anyone on the pitch. That was a real strength of ours. And McLaren then fitted in seamlessly.
“That was very much the characteristic you wanted at the heart of the team. A squad with captain-type mentality players.”
