Derek McInnes has told the senior players in his squad that Lawrence Shankland can’t be the only leader in the dressing room.
The 30-year-old has been confirmed as Rangers skipper for the new season, two months after moving to Ibrox from Hearts.
McInnes, who subsequently made the same switch, felt the Scotland man was the perfect choice for the role having seen him operate in their year together in Gorgie.
But while Shankland will wear the armband for the new campaign which starts at Tannadice tomorrow evening, the Rangers boss has warned that he can’t be his only lieutenant on and off the field.
‘I felt Lawrence took a lot on his shoulders at Hearts when things weren’t going so well,’ he explained. ‘He was the existing captain and, after seeing how he was in and around the team, I saw no reason to change that.
‘Here, the role is slightly different in that we need as many captains underneath him as possible. You’ve heard a lot of managers talk about that — sharing the burden.
Derek McInnes and Lawrence Shankland are all smiles as the new Rangers skipper is revealed
‘At Rangers, I always felt it was a bit unfair that James Tavernier was rolled out after every sore defeat; it was always the same guy fronting up.
‘We need to share that load and that responsibility, both when things are going well and when they’re not, by leaning on teammates and the leadership group we have in the dressing room. Ideally you want everyone to be able to handle that responsibility.’
McInnes held off from making the call until the eve of the new season, with Shankland only told the news on Wednesday morning.
Supremely confident that his star striker will carry out the role with distinction, the manager added: ‘When you come into a club and have to pick a captain, you’re always mindful of the ones who have gone before.
‘James Tavernier has served this club for a long time and served it well, so that discussion was always going to be there and it’s something I’ve been asked about a lot since I took the job.
‘I wanted to take time to look right through the squad and see how everybody was before making that call. The advantage Lawrence had is that I’ve already seen first-hand how well he runs a dressing room, with his experience captaining Hearts for a few years.
‘We had a lot to consider, but plenty went in his favour — his experience, the fact we’re still quite a young dressing room, and that he knows the club as a Glasgow boy who has supported Rangers and understands what’s expected of him, of me and of the team this season.
‘I’ve also got a strong relationship with him, which always helps.’
McInnes relished having Shankland as captain at Hearts and has high hopes for him in the role
Meanwhile, McInnes is hopeful of making two new signings before his side get down to business on Tayside.
A deal for Olwethu Makhanya, Philadelphia Union’s South African defender, is nearing completion with Rangers also closing in on another attacker.
Makhanya, who’s 22, was part of his nation’s squad at the World Cup but didn’t play.
‘Yes, that’s one that is close,’ McInnes said. ‘We’re pretty close to announcing that, so it’s safe to say that one looks good for us, and there’s another we’re still trying to get over the line.’
Asked what Makhanya would add to the team, the manager said: ‘He fits a similar profile to a lot of the business we’ve tried to do — good age, a lot of athleticism and big potential.
‘He’s coming from MLS into a different country and style of football, but we believe he has the attributes to cope with that. Looking at us defensively, we’re short in numbers, so it was important to act quickly to get one in.
‘We probably still need another couple of defenders before the window closes, but getting this one resolved this week would be a big step and we’d be delighted.’
Oliver Antman is on the brink of leaving Rangers, with the Finn poised to sign for Anderlecht for around £4.5m. The winger started brightly after joining from Go Ahead Eagles a year ago, but his form faded.
‘I believe a deal has been agreed and Oli has travelled to finalise that,’ McInnes confirmed.
John Souttar remains part of the squad although the manager feels the defender could well move on in this window.
Defender John Souttar is expected to leave Rangers in search of more game time elsewhere
‘He’s training with us, he’s in the building, but it might be a situation where John looks to go elsewhere for regular football,’ he explained. ‘We’ve spoken about that and he’s exploring options, but it has to be somewhere he wants to go as well.’
McInnes expects to be on the touchline at Tannadice after Rangers submitted an appeal against the three-game ban he incurred — with another suspended — for describing a penalty Celtic were awarded at Motherwell last season as ‘disgusting’.
‘I want to be there because I want to be able to do my job. We will appeal the ban and hopefully that allows me to be on the touchline,’ he said.
‘I’m really looking forward to it. You have to feel excited about a new season starting — it’s an opportunity to start as we mean to go on.’
Thelo Aasgaard and Cammy Devlin are in contention to feature on Friday despite picking up minor knocks in the final pre-season game against West Ham.
