The 55-year-old left Gorgie in the summer after Hearts came up just short in an exhilarating Premiership title race

Vrancken urges Hearts to block out noise ahead of McInnes return

Derek McInnes spoke about his feelings of “injustice” and “guilt” ahead of his return to Hearts as Rangers boss on Wednesday and said he was ready to accept whatever reception he is given by Jambos fans.

The 55-year-old left the Gorgie club in the summer after Hearts came up just short in an exhilarating Premiership title race, losing the league to Celtic in a 3-1 defeat at Parkhead on the final day of the season.

McInnes had described Celtic’s contentious penalty award at Motherwell which gave them a late 3-2 win in their penultimate fixture as “disgusting”, a comment which earned him a touchline ban, which he served as Gers boss.

Captain Lawrence Shankland and midfielder Cammy Devlin also made the move along the M8, albeit both will miss the upcoming clash through injury.

McInnes, whose side trail league leaders Celtic by four points, said: “The hope would be that you get on the pitch and clap the fans and there’s an acknowledgement both ways, but that’s not going to happen. I totally understand that.

“I loved my time at Hearts. I need to say that.

“It was only a short time, but I thought my Hearts team were a breath of fresh air for Scottish football last season.

“I really enjoyed what we managed to achieve. It showed what could be done, despite not having the huge financial muscle of Rangers and Celtic, and I was proud of what we did there.

“Taking a team who finished in the bottom six and getting to 80 points, we just felt a real injustice at the end of it all.

“I understand that it’s not going to be great for me tomorrow, but I get it.

“At Hearts, we were hurting. Last season was almost like we were mourning. That might seem a bit exaggerated, but that’s how it felt.

“We were all clinging to each other during the first part of the close season. It was a time when we felt we should all be sticking together. I felt the guilt about the decision over whether I stayed or left.

“I had felt something similar a couple of weeks earlier with Lawrence. I was golfing with Graeme Jones (sporting director) and chewing the fat about the season, the plans for the next season and having a post-mortem of everything when we got the call that Lawrence wanted to go to Rangers.

“I remember how I felt then. I felt a bit let down and flat about the whole thing.

“For me to make a similar move a couple of weeks later, I understood that. I totally get it if the treatment I receive tomorrow is what it is.

“You could say that maybe I deserve it, but nothing will change how I feel about my time at Hearts.

“I think there was a real injustice and a grievance towards the end of the season, we felt we should have won the title.

“I wanted to be a manager who won a title outside the Old Firm. But for a few contentious decisions going against us, I think we would have won it.”