Derek McInnes Leaves Hearts to Take Charge at Rangers

Heart of Midlothian have confirmed that head coach Derek McInnes has left the club to become the new manager of Rangers. The 55-year-old departs Tynecastle after one season in charge, having led Hearts to a second-place finish in the Scottish Premiership and qualification for the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds. Hearts announced that they had reached an agreement with Rangers regarding compensation, bringing an end to McInnes’ tenure in Edinburgh. The move sees the former Aberdeen and Kilmarnock manager return to Ibrox, where he spent five years as a player between 1995 and 2000. McInnes was appointed Hearts head coach in May 2025 and quickly made an impact, guiding the club back into contention at the top end of Scottish football. In a statement, Hearts thanked McInnes for his contribution during his time at the club and wished him success in the next stage of his career. The Edinburgh side also announced that Paul Sheerin and Alan Archibald will depart the club with McInnes. The departure leaves Hearts searching for a new head coach ahead of a crucial summer, with preparations already underway for the 2026/27 campaign and upcoming Champions League qualifiers. McInnes now takes over at Rangers as the club begins a new chapter under fresh leadership. His appointment comes following the departure of Danny Röhl and sees one of Scotland’s most experienced managers return to Ibrox in a managerial capacity for the first time. Attention will now turn to who Hearts appoint as McInnes’ successor, with the Edinburgh club facing an important period as they look to build on the progress made last season and prepare for the challenges of domestic and European competition.

St Johnstone sign Spanish winger

St Johnstone have announced the signing of forward Unax Álvarez de Eulate. The exciting 24-year-old winger joins on a two-year-deal from Spanish third tier side CD Guadalajara, where he scored 18 goals in 67 matches. Unax on signing for St Johnstone: “When I saw the club and its history, I felt that this would be a nice place for me to play. I have not played out of Spain, but I know this league will be a good level with good fans. “I’m always trying to improve and to do my best. I will always give my best to keep getting better. “Technically, I feel I am good and I always like to have a good connection with my team-mates. That is very important to me. I’m a fast player and of course like to score goals. “I look forward to getting out on the pitch in front of the fans and seeing how they get behind the team. I want to meet them all as soon as possible.”

From the USA, to Aberdeen: Connor Ronan joins the Dons!

Aberdeen this afternoon announced the signing of Connor Ronan on a two-year-deal with an option of a further year. The midfielder joins from American side Colorado Rapids which is the sixth summer signing for Stephen Robinson as the Dons boss re-unites with his former St Mirren star. The midfielder started his career on the youth ranks in England, coming through at Wolves, making 13 appearances before having short stints at the likes of Portsmouth, Walsall, Blackpool, Grasshoppers and Slovakian side, DAC 1904 Dunajska Streda before a loan spell at St Mirren where he was managed under current Aberdeen boss, Stephen Robinson. Ronan was a star player in Paisley, making 30  appearances for the Buddies with 8 goals and 5 assists for St Mirren in 2021 being a standout at the SMiSA Stadium. After his time with Wolves, failing to become a regular starter the Ireland U21 International made the move all the way to the US, spending four-year with Colorado Rapids becoming a regular starter for the MLS side. Ronan this season has been limited to just six games where a move to Pittodrie is next up for the 28-year-old. Manager Stephen Robinson said: “We’re delighted to bring Connor to Aberdeen. “He is a player I know from his time in Scotland and someone whose qualities we have admired for a number of years. “He’s a creative player who will bring valuable experience to our midfield. He has a strong work ethic, can score goals and has clearly matured during his time in MLS. “Just as importantly, he has the character and professionalism that we want within the squad. We’re looking forward to working with him and seeing the impact he can make.” New signing, Connor Ronan said: “It’s great to be here. I’m delighted to have everything finalised and can’t wait to get started. “From the first conversations I had with the manager, it was clear what the Club is trying to build and where I fit into those plans. “I’ve also worked with Stephen before, and I know exactly what he’ll expect from me. That was a really important factor. “Aberdeen is a huge football club with big ambitions and that’s difficult to turn down. I want to be part of helping the Club compete at the top end of the table, return to Europe and challenge for trophies. “From a personal point of view, I want to contribute goals, assists and strong performances, but above all else I want to help the team be successful. That’s what matters most.” Ronan will join up with his new team mates as they continue pre-season work, in the build up to next weeks friendly away to Cove Rangers.

From Heriot Watt University, to Falkirk to the English Championship

Falkirk have this afternoon confirmed Barney Stewart has departed for West Brom leaving for a club-record-fee. The new West Brom man has signed a 4-year-deal in the Midlands in a fee which is believed to be around the £1.3million mark as the Scotland U21 International departs Scotland following a highly impressive time in Scotland. Barney has had some journey throughout his career so far where he started off with his University side, Hariot Watt University where the striker performed brilliantly which earned himself a massive move to Falkirk. The 22-year-old re-joined his Uni side on loan in 2024 before returning to the Falkirk Stadium where he went on loan to Scottish Championship outfit, Dunfermline where he went on to net 8 goals in 12 appearances at East End Park before returning to John McGlynn’s side after being recalled following an impressive spell. During last season, Barney was the top goal scorer for the Bairns since joining back up in January, scoring 10 times which included a hat-trick against Hibs as well as very crucial goals in their sensational Scottish Cup run against Aberdeen, Motherwell and Dundee United which saw the Pars lose out to Celtic in the final. It’s been a very impressive career for the man who was playing University football just two years ago, to now playing in the English Championship for West Brom after signing for a club-record-fee.

Maison des Icônes – Preserving Defining Sporting Moments Through Art

Icons are not made. They are remembered. And Maison des Icônes are remembering some of sport’s most iconic moments and figures, starting with Zinedine Zidane’s World Cup-winning performance in the 1998 final for France against Brazil. With their first piece being a recreation of artist Celia Calle’s 2001 work in partnership with Adidas, it treats this moment of footballing history with care, context and style.     After speaking with Maison des Icônes founder Duncan Frew, he explained the motivation behind the artwork. Frew said: “The inspiration came from a simple observation: football has created some of the most powerful cultural moments of the last century, yet very few of them have been immortalised with the same artistic reverence as other areas of culture. “You can walk into a gallery and find beautiful pieces celebrating cinema, music, fashion or history, but the moments that made millions of football supporters cry, celebrate and fall in love with the game are often only remembered through photographs, old shirts or memorabilia. “Maison Des Icones was created to bridge that gap – transforming football’s most iconic moments into timeless works of art that deserve a place on the wall, not just in a collection of memorabilia. “Football has always been a huge part of my life. It is more than a sport – it is emotion, identity, family and memories passed between generations. “Art has the unique ability to capture emotion in a way that photography sometimes cannot. A great artist does not simply recreate a moment; they reinterpret it, highlighting the feeling, movement and story behind it. “By bringing football and art together, Maison Des Icones aims to create something that resonates equally with the lifelong supporter, the collector and the lover of beautiful design.” The sole piece available just now is originally Celia Calle’s, an artist who worked with Adidas in 2001 with pieces to commemorate some of their most famous boots of the early 2000s. Maison des Icônes were delighted she was able to buy into their idea from their first conversation. “Celia immediately understood the vision. She has spent years transforming sporting moments into sophisticated pieces of contemporary art, so the idea of creating a dedicated maison celebrating football’s greatest icons was a very natural fit. “What excited us both was the opportunity to move beyond traditional sports memorabilia and create something with genuine artistic value – pieces that people would proudly display in their homes alongside any other form of fine art. “Celia is an incredibly important part of the Maison Des Icones story and her artistic style was fundamental in bringing the original vision to life. “Our immediate focus is on building this journey together and creating a collection that establishes the identity and standards of the Maison. “Looking to the future, the beauty of the concept is that football has inspired many incredible artists across different styles and mediums. There may be opportunities to collaborate with other artists who share our philosophy, but any future partnership would always need to protect the quality, craftsmanship and emotional storytelling that defines Maison Des Icones.” So far, the only available piece is that of Zidane, which is available to purchase through the link at the bottom of this article. But rest assured, despite the French name and debut, there is scope to take the brand beyond Les Blues. “The French name reflects the artistic heritage, craftsmanship and sense of timeless elegance that sits at the heart of the brand, rather than limiting the stories we choose to tell. “Football is the world’s game, and Maison Des Icones will celebrate iconic moments from every era, country and club. Whether it is a World Cup-winning moment, a legendary club triumph or an individual piece of brilliance, our ambition is to curate the moments that transcended football and became part of global culture. “There are several exciting moments currently being explored, although we are deliberately keeping some of them under wraps for now. “What I can say is that we are not simply choosing famous goals or famous players. The moments that interest us are those that represent something bigger – moments of genius, triumph, heartbreak and cultural significance.” Check out Maison des Icônes website here: https://maisondesicones.com And follow them on Instagram to ensure you do not miss any future releases: https://www.instagram.com/maisondesicones.art