McCrorie returns as Rangers’ first McInnes signing

Ross McCrorie has rejoined Rangers on a three-year deal, returning to Ibrox as Derek McInnes’ first signing since taking charge. The 28-year-old arrives from Bristol City for an undisclosed fee, with the right-back role left open by captain James Tavernier’s d

Rangers wasted no time making Derek McInnes’ early days feel real. By the time the first ripple of his appointment had settled. Ross McCrorie was already on his way back to Ibrox—an emotional reunion for a player who grew up the wrong side of the fence and still remembers what it felt like to pull on the shirt.

The 28-year-old has returned to Rangers for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal, with the option of a further year. McCrorie’s move is also direct business: he is expected to fill the right-back void created by the departing captain James Tavernier.

McCrorie’s path back to Glasgow runs through two stops that shaped him into the profile Rangers want now. He joined Bristol City and scored eight goals in 89 appearances for the Robins. Before that. his first Rangers-to-Aberdeen chapter began after McInnes brought him into the Dons set-up. signing him from Ibrox in August 2020.

At Aberdeen. McCrorie made more than 100 appearances across three seasons. putting his versatility to regular use and establishing himself as a reliable presence. In March. that standing turned into international recognition again: he won his second Scotland cap in the friendly defeat by Ivory Coast.

Despite the call-up, there was disappointment to sit alongside the pride. McCrorie missed out on Steve Clarke’s World Cup squad.

That mix of lessons—domestic grind. international validation. and the sting of being left out—lands Rangers with a player who knows the club from the inside. McCrorie came through the youth ranks at Ibrox. made more than 50 first-team appearances for the club. and now returns under the manager who originally signed him for Aberdeen.

Speaking to the Rangers website, McCrorie didn’t dress it up.

“It is a dream come true to come back up the road to the team I support.”

He added that time away has changed him both as a person and as a player, saying, “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.”

McCrorie’s focus is immediate rather than nostalgic. “I feel like I am ready now, and I want to come back here and win trophies.”

McInnes’ message carried the same through-line: a player he already understands, now brought back with intention. McCrorie, he said, was the kind of signing that followed a clear need. “Ross is someone I signed for Aberdeen from Rangers,” McInnes said. “And at that time he wanted to go out and prove himself, which I think says a lot for him.”.

McInnes also pointed to the development that has taken place since that period, calling McCrorie “developed and improved as a player,” adding that he has “got that added experience” and that he is now “a full international.”

The manager made the relationship sound personal as well as professional. insisting that the recruitment pitch aligned with what the club wants and what McCrorie expects. “In the conversations I have had with him. a lot of things I am saying are things he wants from the club as well. ” McInnes said. “So he’s a determined and competitive boy on the pitch. and he is determined to bring good times back to the club.”.

Rangers Derek McInnes Ross McCrorie Bristol City James Tavernier Scotland Ivory Coast friendly World Cup squad Ibrox