Derek McInnes ‘won’t abandon Aberdeen’ for Rangers

McInnes insists he's happy at Aberdeen. Picture: Ian Rutherford

The 43-year-old has been a massive success at Aberdeen and has helped turn an ailing squad into one of the most successful teams in the Scottish Premiership over the past two seasons.

CONNECT WITH THE SCOTSMAN

• Subscribe to our daily newsletter (requires registration) and get the latest news, sport and business headlines delivered to your inbox every morning

• You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google +

The former Rangers player, who played for the Ibrox club between 1995 and 2000, retains a soft spot for his boyhood heroes but insists continuing the recovery of Aberdeen is his sole objective for the forseeable future.

He said: “I’m really happy here and it’s unfair – there’s still a manager in place at that club, and he’s a friend of mine as well. I’ve no desire to leave Aberdeen at the minute.

“I’m really enjoying myself here and feel we’ve work to finish. There’s a lot to be said for being happy at your work and I’m extremely happy here.

• Choppy waters ahead for lame duck Ally McCoist

“The chairman and I speak on a regular basis and we have the same aspirations for the club. We have just started something and as good as things are at the minute we still feel there is a lot of improvement to come both on and off the pitch.”

McInnes added that chairman Stewart Milne is a key aspect of why he has been able to make a success of his time at the club. “I have a really special relationship with him, a helluva lot of respect for him and I love my job here.”

SCOTSMAN TABLET AND IPHONE APPS

• Download your free 30-day trial for our iPad, Android and Kindle apps

• Keep up to date with all aspects of Scottish life with The Scotsman iPhone app, completely free to download and use