Ryan Jack insists there's no bad blood with Derek McInnes

Ryan Jack models the new Scotland home kit. Picture: Ross Parker/SNS

Aberdeen manager McInnes remains the odds-on favourite with bookmakers to fill the vacancy at Ibrox in the wake of Pedro Caixinha’s sacking a fortnight ago.

Jack’s own decision to leave Aberdeen and join Rangers when his contract expired at the end of last season saw him stripped of the captaincy by McInnes just before the  Scottish Cup Final against Celtic in May.

But, despite that sour ending to his time at Pittodrie, the midfielder is adamant he would have no problem working under McInnes again.

“No, not at all,” said Jack, who is poised to make his senior Scotland debut in tomorrow night’s friendly international against the Netherlands, coincidentally in Aberdeen.

“I would have no issue with him [McInnes] at all. I don’t pay too much attention to that. When everything did break [about my move] it was the week of the Scottish Cup Final.

“You could say it was the  biggest game of both our careers. It wasn’t about me or us. It was about Aberdeen  trying to do well in the final. After that we shook hands, wished each other all the best and moved on.

“For me personally, I felt it was time to move on, to try something different in my career. He said he wanted to keep me at Aberdeen and didn’t want to lose me.

“So at the same time he is  disappointed. It was in a good way that he wanted to keep me at the club. He wanted to keep me as a part of it.”

Asked if he could understand why McInnes is regarded as a leading candidate for the Rangers job, Jack added: “From what I’m hearing there are a lot of strong candidates.

“I try not to worry about that side of it. You just have to wait and see who comes in. Whoever it will be, will be. I look  forward to it when it happens.”

Jack also played down the prospect of receiving a hostile reception from the Aberdeen supporters among the crowd tomorrow night, given their dismay at his decision to move to Rangers.

“I’m not worried about that at all,” he said. “I’d been with Aberdeen since I was eight years old and played 250 games for them. It’s a great club and all my family and friends are still based up there so I’m looking forward to  having them at the game.

“I’ve been back to Aberdeen a couple of times to see family and friends since I joined Rangers and there were no issues. It’s not about me and it’s not about Rangers and Aberdeen on Thursday. It’s about Scotland. I am just focusing on giving it my best shot if I am called upon to play.”