Rangers seal reunion with Scotland international as Derek McInnes hails defender's Ibrox DNA
Rangers have announced their first signing of the Derek McInnes era at Ibrox.
Rangers have announced the first signing of the Derek McInnes era with the arrival of former Ibrox academy star Ross McCrorie on a long-term contract from Bristol City.
The versatile defender has penned a three-year deal with the club and becomes their second arrival of the summer transfer window following the capture of Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland earlier this month. Rangers are believed to have paid a £900,000 fee upfront, with add-ons included.
McCrorie, 28, left Rangers six years ago after making over 50 appearances for his boyhood club, signing for McInnes during his time in charge of Scottish Premiership rivals Aberdeen, where he spent a total of three seasons before being snapped up by EFL Championship outfit Bristol City for a reported £2.1million.
A regular starter at Ashton Gate, he was awarded a place in the Scotland squad for the European Championships in Germany two summers ago after an impressive 2023/24 campaign for the second-tier side, making his international debut in a 2-0 pre-tournament friendly win over Gibraltar. He won his second cap recently, coming off the bench in the 1-0 friendly debut against the Ivory Coast at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium in March.
Despite the Robins activating their option to extend his contract until 2027, it is believed McCrorie was open to a move this summer, with clubs in the EFL Championship also interested in his services. However, the pull of his former club proved to be too much, and the Scotland international has now become the first signing of the McInnes era at Rangers, with a deal signed until the summer of 2029.
“Ross is someone I signed for Aberdeen from Rangers,” said head coach McInnes. “And at that time he wanted to go out and prove himself, which I think says a lot for him. He has developed and improved as a player, he has got that added experience, he is a full international now, and he knows the club inside out.
“In the conversations I have had with him, a lot of things I am saying are things he wants from the club as well, so he's a determined and competitive boy on the pitch, and he is determined to bring good times back to the club.”
McCrorie spoke of his delight at re-joining the club, saying: “It is a dream come true to come back up the road to the team I support. I am not that little kid who was at Rangers back in the day. I have changed a lot character-wise, and player-wise, I feel I have changed massively. I feel like I am ready now, and I want to come back here and win trophies.”
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