Derek McInnes snubbed Rangers because he did not want to ruin his legacy at Aberdeen for a club that did not have complete faith in him, according to the Daily Record.
McInnes dropped the bombshell on Thursday that he was to stay at Pittodrie amid widespread speculation that Rangers were set to appoint him as their new boss.
In a club statement on their official website, Aberdeen confirmed that McInnes and assistant Tony Docherty had elected to stay at the club.
Now, the Record claim that Rangers’ delay in moving to appoint him – the club have been without a permanent manager for six weeks now – was a key factor in his decision to snub the Light Blues.
A source told the Record: “This has been an agonising few days and weeks for Derek and he has not reached this decision lightly. He knows the chance to manage Rangers might never come again and that’s something he’ll have to live with.
“But what he was not prepared to do was leave Aberdeen in a manner which would have resulted in so much bad blood – and certainly not when he was never truly convinced as to the depth of Rangers’ desire to appoint him. He knows he is wanted and appreciated at Pittodrie and that’s a huge thing for any manager.
“It would have been a very messy way for things to come to an end if he had to resign. In the end he was not willing to do that. That says a great deal about his passion for the club but it also says much about the way the Rangers board have handled the entire business.”
OPINION
If Rangers’ decision to wait so long to move for a new boss looked silly before, it looks absolutely comical now. The board must have thought they had their man, with just the formalities to complete, but now they are back to square one again. Whatever the reasons for their delay, whether it be patience in waiting for the right man, or indecision among members, the Rangers board have come out of this with minimal credibility. For McInnes, this was a brave decision. To turn down your boyhood club shows strength, although it is yet to be seen what damage this saga has inflicted on his reputation at Pittodrie. The early signs are not too promising however, with fans already voicing their displeasure at his u-turn.