Walter Smith died five years ago at the age of 73, but Derek McInnes says the Rangers legend's influence still runs through how he thinks about management at Rangers. McInnes moved to Ibrox in November 1995, after Smith had already watched every Morton game that season and decided he was ready for the step up.

Smith's influence on McInnes

McInnes said the two were never especially close when he was a player, but Smith still took a real interest in his career. “His eagerness to help and involve himself in my career was pleasing,” McInnes told dailyrecord.co.uk.

The part he keeps returning to is how Smith handled people. “He dealt with people and players brilliantly. Like a dad really, chastising you and coming down on you when you needed it, putting his arm around you, and knowing when to encourage you and get behind you,” McInnes said.

He also said Smith cared more about winning than figures, but could adapt when the situation changed. That sits neatly with the old Rangers standard, and with the club's current league position. Rangers are second in the 2026 Premiership table with 23 points from 10 matches, having taken 13 points from their last five league games.

The 1996 cup final lesson

The other half of the story comes from a far more painful moment. On Monday, November 25, 1996, McInnes went to the manager's office after being left out of the League Cup Final squad, where Rangers beat Hearts 4-3 at Celtic Park with only three substitutes allowed at the time.

“There weren’t many times when I was really disappointed, but that was one of them,” McInnes told dailymail.com. Smith handed him his medal and full bonus before explaining the omission.

“He said it was a hard decision and that one day, if I was sitting on the other side of the desk, I would understand it,” McInnes said. “When he explained it, it made sense, even though it was still such a blow because I was desperate to play in a cup final for Rangers.”

That kind of honesty is probably why the memory has lasted. McInnes has taken the lesson into management, where the hard call matters less than explaining it properly. Five years after Smith's death, the standard he set is still being measured against at Ibrox.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →