McInnes admits guilt over Hearts exit ahead of Rangers return

Rangers manager Derek McInnes has admitted to feeling "guilt" over his decision to leave Hearts for Ibrox in the summer. He anticipates a potentially difficult reception when he returns to Tynecastle on Wednesday.

McInnes expressed his affection for his time at Hearts, describing his team's previous season as "a breath of fresh air for Scottish football." He highlighted their achievement of accumulating 80 points, despite not possessing the financial resources of Rangers and Celtic. "I thought my Hearts team were a breath of fresh air for Scottish football last season," McInnes stated. "I really enjoyed what we managed to achieve."

Reflecting on the end of the previous season, where Hearts narrowly missed out on the title, McInnes felt a sense of injustice. "We were all kind of clinging to each other in the first part of the close season. It's a time when we felt we should all be sticking together," he said. "So I kind of feel the guilt that I had a decision to make, whether I stayed or whether I left."

He understands the potential fan reaction, drawing a parallel to his own feelings when Hearts captain and leading scorer Lawrence Shankland announced his move to Ibrox. "I remember how I felt then, how I felt a bit let down, a bit flat with the whole thing. For me to make a similar move a couple of weeks later, I understood that," McInnes added. "The treatment I get is what it is, and you could say I deserve it, but nothing will change how I felt about my time at Hearts."

McInnes believes his former team was close to winning a title outside of the Old Firm. "I think there was a real injustice. We felt that grievance towards the end of the season that we should have won a title," he stated. "I wanted to be a manager that won a title outwith the Old Firm. But for a few contentious decisions going against us, I think we would have won it."