Hearts’ new head coach Wouter Vrancken has fired an early warning to Rangers and Celtic as Derek McInnes prepares for his first season in charge at Ibrox.
The Belgian was appointed by Hearts following McInnes' departure to Rangers, where the former Tynecastle boss replaced Danny Rohl after the German accepted an offer from RB Salzburg.
McInnes left Edinburgh having guided Hearts to an impressive second place finish last season. The Jambos came within three minutes of lifting the Scottish Premiership title before two late Celtic goals denied them on a dramatic final day.
His exploits earned him the Rangers job following a disappointing campaign in which the Light Blues finished third, losing four of their final five league matches to end the season in poor form.
Hearts boss fires warning to Ibrox
Now tasked with succeeding McInnes, Vrancken has made it clear he wants Hearts to continue challenging both Rangers and Celtic despite only having a limited pre-season to prepare ahead of a crucial UEFA Champions League qualifying round.
Speaking about his ambitions, Vrancken said: “I hope to put in the football we want to see as quickly as possible.
“We want to be annoying the Glasgow teams and trying to hurt them.
“We’re trying to over-achieve ourselves in how we do things and how we play football, and it’s all totally new.
“I’m really curious and excited to go further. Hopefully, we can do it.”
There have already been positive signs under the Belgian after Hearts recorded a 3-1 behind-closed-doors victory over St Mirren during pre-season.
However, Vrancken admitted his squad are still adapting to his methods and believes there is significant room for improvement before competitive action begins.
McInnes will be hoping to build on the foundations he laid at Hearts as he attempts to restore the Ibrox club to the top of Scottish football after last season's disappointing third-place finish.
With Shankland joining his former manager in Glasgow and Hearts beginning a new era under Vrancken, the rivalry between the clubs could take on an added edge during the 2026/27 campaign.
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