Derek McInnes facts for kids
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McInnes in 2018
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Derek John McInnes | ||
| Date of birth | 5 July 1971 | ||
| Place of birth | Paisley, Scotland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Heart of Midlothian (Head Coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Gleniffer Thistle | |||
| 1986–1988 | Greenock Morton | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1988–1995 | Greenock Morton | 224 | (19) |
| 1995–2000 | Rangers | 34 | (1) |
| 1998 | → Stockport County (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 1999–2000 | → Toulouse (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2000–2003 | West Bromwich Albion | 88 | (6) |
| 2003–2006 | Dundee United | 74 | (3) |
| 2006–2007 | Millwall | 13 | (1) |
| 2007–2008 | St Johnstone | 30 | (0) |
| Total | 478 | (30) | |
| International career | |||
| 2002 | Scotland | 2 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2007–2011 | St Johnstone | ||
| 2011–2013 | Bristol City | ||
| 2013–2021 | Aberdeen | ||
| 2022–2025 | Kilmarnock | ||
| 2025– | Heart of Midlothian | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Derek John McInnes (born on July 5, 1971) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian.
During his playing career, McInnes played for several important clubs. These included Greenock Morton, Rangers, West Bromwich Albion, and Dundee United. He also played twice for the Scotland national team.
After retiring as a player, McInnes became a manager. He first managed St Johnstone starting in November 2007. He helped them get promoted to the Scottish Premier League in 2009. Later, he managed Bristol City and then Aberdeen. With Aberdeen, he won the Scottish League Cup in 2014. He also led them to finish second in the league four times.
In January 2022, McInnes became the manager of Kilmarnock. He guided them to promotion in 2022 and helped them qualify for European competitions in 2024. At the end of the 2024–25 season, he left Kilmarnock to become the head coach of Hearts.
Playing Career Highlights
Starting Out in Football
Derek McInnes began his professional football journey in 1988. He joined Greenock Morton as a teenager. He played in 259 games for them over nine seasons. After that, he moved to Rangers, where he played for almost five years. He was part of the team that won the Scottish Cup in 1999. This win helped Rangers achieve a "domestic treble," meaning they won three major trophies in one season.
While at Rangers, McInnes also had loan spells. He played for Stockport County in England. He also spent a short time at Toulouse in France.
Time at West Bromwich Albion
In the summer of 2000, McInnes joined West Bromwich Albion. He suffered a serious knee injury that ended his first season early. However, he returned the next season and became team captain. He helped West Brom get promoted to the Premier League. He also won the "Goal of the Season" award for a fantastic long-range shot.
McInnes played in most of West Brom's Premier League games in the 2002–03 season. He was the first West Brom player to be sent off (given a red card) in a Premier League match. He played 88 league games for the club and scored six goals.
Playing for Dundee United
McInnes joined Dundee United on July 11, 2003. He was immediately made team captain. In his first season, he played in almost every game. He helped the club finish fifth in the Scottish Premier League. He also scored two goals that season.
He got injured again with about a third of the 2004–05 season left. But he managed to recover and play in the Scottish Cup final at the end of the season. In April 2006, he left Dundee United. He had played 83 games for them and scored four goals.
Later Playing Years
On June 24, 2006, McInnes joined Millwall. His manager there, Nigel Spackman, made him captain. Spackman said that every Millwall player should be like Derek McInnes. He scored one goal for Millwall before leaving in January 2007.
He then returned to Scotland to sign for St Johnstone. He made his debut for them on January 6, 2007.
Playing for Scotland
Derek McInnes received his first call-up to the Scotland squad later in his career. He made his debut on August 21, 2002. He came on as a substitute in a friendly match against Denmark. Three months later, he played as a substitute again against Portugal.
Managerial Career
Leading St Johnstone
Derek McInnes became the manager of St Johnstone on November 27, 2007. He took over after the previous managers left. On May 2, 2009, McInnes led St Johnstone to promotion. They moved up to the Scottish Premier League, ending their seven-year stay in the lower division.
He stayed at St Johnstone and signed a new contract in October 2009. He managed the team for 177 games. During this time, they won 71 games, drew 53, and lost 53.
Managing Bristol City
McInnes was appointed manager of Bristol City on October 19, 2011. The club was struggling at the bottom of the Football League Championship. However, McInnes guided them on an eight-game unbeaten run. This helped them stay in the league.
In November 2012, after a game, McInnes showed great sportsmanship. He gave £300 to 17 fans whose minibus tires were slashed. This helped them get home.
During the 2012–13 season, Bristol City had a tough time. They lost seven games in a row, which was a club record. McInnes was let go on January 12, 2013. The club was eight points away from safety at that point.
Time at Aberdeen
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McInnes became the manager of Aberdeen on March 25, 2013. He officially took charge in April. He wanted to help the city of Aberdeen "fall in love" with its football team again.
Aberdeen had a great September in 2013. They won two league games and drew one. They also reached the League Cup quarter-finals. McInnes won the "Manager of the Month" award for September.
The club started 2014 very well, winning all their games in January. McInnes won another "Manager of the Month" award in February. Before the League Cup final, he signed a contract extension until 2017.
Aberdeen won the 2014 Scottish League Cup Final on penalties. This was their first trophy in 19 years! McInnes also led Aberdeen to qualify for European competitions. This was the first time since 2009. At the end of the season, McInnes won both the PFA Scotland Manager of the Year and SFWA Manager of the Year awards.
In the 2014–15 season, Aberdeen did well in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers. They finished second in the 2014–15 Scottish Premiership. This meant they qualified for Europe again. In 2015, McInnes signed a new contract until 2019.
His Aberdeen team challenged Celtic for the league title in 2015–16. Aberdeen won their first eight league matches that season. They finished second behind Celtic again in 2016–17. Aberdeen also reached both domestic cup finals that season, but lost both to Celtic.
In June 2017, McInnes decided to stay with Aberdeen despite interest from other clubs. He signed a new contract until 2020. In July 2019, he signed another contract until 2022. After a difficult period in early 2021, McInnes left Aberdeen by agreement on March 8, 2021.
Leading Kilmarnock
McInnes was appointed manager of Kilmarnock on January 4, 2022. He signed an 18-month contract. When he joined, Kilmarnock was fourth in the Scottish Championship. McInnes led a strong second half of the season. They won the Championship title on April 22, 2022. This meant they returned to the Scottish Premiership right away.
In the 2022–23 season, Kilmarnock finished 10th. They secured their top-flight status on the final day. They also reached the semi-finals of the Scottish League Cup. McInnes helped several young players from the academy join the first team.
The 2023–24 season was a big success for McInnes. Kilmarnock finished fourth in the Premiership. This was their highest league finish since 2019. It also meant they qualified for the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round. During this season, Kilmarnock beat Celtic twice at home. McInnes was named SFWA Manager of the Year for 2024.
In the 2024–25 UEFA Europa League, Kilmarnock played against Cercle Brugge. They were knocked out after losing 2–1 on total score. They then entered the UEFA Conference League. They beat Tromsø to reach the play-off round. However, they lost to Copenhagen and were eliminated from European competition.
Kilmarnock had a tough Premiership season domestically. Their form got worse, especially in away games.
Moving to Heart of Midlothian
Derek McInnes was appointed head coach of Heart of Midlothian in May 2025.
Career statistics
Player
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Greenock Morton | 1987–88 | Scottish Premier Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | |
| 1988–89 | Scottish First Division | 29 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 36 | 1 | ||
| 1989–90 | Scottish First Division | 23 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 | 1 | ||
| 1990–91 | Scottish First Division | 34 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 38 | 3 | ||
| 1991–92 | Scottish First Division | 42 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | – | 45 | 8 | ||
| 1992–93 | Scottish First Division | 40 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 42 | 2 | ||
| 1993–94 | Scottish First Division | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 18 | 1 | ||
| 1994–95 | Scottish Second Division | 26 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 | 3 | ||
| 1995–96 | Scottish First Division | 12 | 1 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 13 | 1 | |||
| Total | 224 | 19 | 17 | 0 | 8 | 1 | – | 249 | 20 | |||
| Rangers | 1995–96 | Scottish Premier Division | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 6 | 0 | ||
| 1996–97 | Scottish Premier Division | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 32 | 4 | |
| 1997–98 | Scottish Premier Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1998–99 | Scottish Premier League | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 9 | 0 | |||
| 1999–2000 | Scottish Premier League | 1 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 33 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 52 | 4 | ||
| Stockport County (loan) | 1998–99 | Football League First Division | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 15 | 0 | ||
| Toulouse | 1999–2000 | French Division 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | |
| West Bromwich Albion | 2000–01 | Football League First Division | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 18 | 1 | |
| 2001–02 | Football League First Division | 45 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 52 | 3 | ||
| 2002–03 | FA Premier League | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 | 2 | ||
| Total | 88 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | – | 100 | 6 | |||
| Dundee United | 2003–04 | Scottish Premier League | 35 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 37 | 2 | |
| 2004–05 | Scottish Premier League | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 33 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | Scottish Premier League | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 13 | 2 | ||
| Total | 74 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | – | 83 | 4 | |||
| Millwall | 2006–07 | Football League One | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 15 | 1 | |
| St Johnstone | 2006–07 | Scottish First Division | 16 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 21 | 0 | |
| 2007–08 | Scottish First Division | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 15 | 0 | ||
| Total | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 36 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 478 | 30 | 38 | 1 | 30 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 555 | 35 | ||
Managerial record
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| St Johnstone | 27 November 2007 | 19 October 2011 | 177 | 71 | 53 | 53 | 40.11 |
| Bristol City | 19 October 2011 | 12 January 2013 | 63 | 17 | 14 | 32 | 26.98 |
| Aberdeen | 7 April 2013 | 8 March 2021 | 378 | 202 | 75 | 101 | 53.44 |
| Kilmarnock | 4 January 2022 | 19 May 2025 | 159 | 61 | 38 | 60 | 38.36 |
| Heart of Midlothian | 19 May 2025 | Present | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Total | 781 | 355 | 180 | 246 | 45.45 | ||
Honours and Awards
As a Player
Greenock Morton
- Scottish Second Division: 1994–95
Rangers
- Scottish Premier Division: 1996–97
- Scottish Cup: 1998–99
West Bromwich Albion
- Football League First Division runner-up: 2001–02
Dundee United
- Scottish Cup runner-up: 2004–05
St Johnstone
- Scottish Challenge Cup: 2007–08
As a Manager
St Johnstone
- Scottish First Division: 2008–09
Aberdeen
- Scottish League Cup: 2013–14
- Scottish League Cup runner-up: 2016–17, 2018–19
- Scottish Cup runner-up: 2016–17
Kilmarnock
- Scottish Championship: 2021–22
Individual Awards
- PFA Scotland Manager of the Year: 2013–14
- SFWA Manager of the Year: 2013–14, 2023–24
- Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month: October 2023
See also
In Spanish: Derek McInnes para niños
