Derek McInnes has Walter Smith lessons he can deploy in Hearts title bid as Jambos on brink of lasting success

He watched him accumulate tips from a Rangers great - and Mark Hateley reckons Hearts now stand to benefit under the guidance of head coach Derek McInnes.

The former Ibrox and AC Milan striker was at Ibrox during the time period where the current Tynecastle boss played in blue between 1995-2000. Hateley has been closely following the Premiership title race that sees McInnes leading the charge for Hearts to become the first side outside of Glasgow since Aberdeen in 1985 to win Scotland’s top flight.

At Rangers, McInnes was part of late Ibrox icon Walter Smith’s sides, that made a habit of digging out victories and titles in the 9-in-a-row era. Hateley feels McInnes will have gained plenty from that Rangers experience to help him down the home straight in Gorgie, with Danny Rohl’s team breathing down their neck, currently second and four points away.

What Rangers lessons will Derek McInnes deploy at Hearts

"The Hearts players will be telling you the same, they need that encouragement,” said Hateley. “They're finding a way to win games, Hearts. You have a manager that's worked under a manager at Ibrox that found ways to win all the time and he'll have all that information stored in his head. Derek has been doing a great job this season but this right now is the acid test for any club that wants to go the distance.

“Consistency, that's what Rangers haven't had away from home, they've had it in spades at home. I look at, since Danny's been here, the amount of points that's been accumulated, the amount of games he's won. Lost one league game since he's been here. So it's getting consistencies right now. That's all that you need to do now. I'm going to say it’s probably been a big learning lesson, and I've been about this, for ownership as well.

“I think it's really, really good for Scottish football that we've got somebody else in that can win a league now, because that brings more investment. Every time I put Sky on, it's talking about our league now, which must be good for football. So it's all about your consistencies now and people trusting each other, fans trusting the players, and the players trusting the fans to give them what they need to push them over the line.”

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Hateley also feels Hearts’ chances hinge on how well they can deal with escalating injury issues as key stars like Lawrence Shankland and Cammy Devlin remain out. He reckons all his ex-teammate can do is pick the best team from those he has at his disposal, although with Celtic languishing six points off first in third place amid a difficult campaign ahead of a derby with Rangers, Hateley sees Hearts making grounds to become a sustained fixture in title conversations going forward.

"I've been in that position, been both chasing and looking over your shoulder,” Hateley told British Gambler. “I think Derek has been tested. I think just over the recent I'm going to say half a dozen games, with fixtures that have not gone as you would have thought, which has probably been all round for Celtic and Rangers as well. Derek picks his team up, starts winning again.

“I think the only problem for me is that you've got a lot of players, key players, that you would like to be able to trust on right now that are out. You've got Lawrence that's not playing, you've got Cammy Devlin that's out the side as well. They're key players and that have been key players all season.

“So it's about the boys that are coming in now and how that bond with your starting XI is right now. Because I'm going to say now for the run-in, your manager picks the best team. He doesn't pick a team that, you know, you're looking at an opposition. You pick your best team and you play that best team. This could be the start of something big for Hearts or Rangers. The club I think that is struggling the most at the moment is our biggest enemy, Celtic."