Derek McInnes has done a good job since taking over the reins as Rangers manager this summer, despite the European heartbreaks.

In many ways, the lack of continental football has allowed him the chance to work with his players longer on the training ground and has thus seen their performances improve.

McInnes has also won the Rangers supporters over, especially those who were sceptical following a slow start to the season.

Having assessed the performances of all the players who were at Ibrox, Rangers News believes that there is one clear winner.

Ryan Naderi has been the most improved Rangers player this season

Ryan Naderi is undoubtedly the most improved Rangers player this term. The striker was viewed by many as the fifth-choice striker at the start of the season, had Youssef Chermiti and Lawrence Shankland remained fit. While he did get more minutes than Bojan Miovski in the final months of the 2025/26 campaign, there was a feeling that the North Macedonian forward should be given more game time.

However, in just four months, Naderi has managed to silence his critics and has been one of the Scottish Premiership’s best players this season. In 11 league games, he has scored six goals and provided four assists. He seems to be well on course to win the Golden Boot or at least have a genuine shot of winning it come the end of the season.

In all competitions, the 23-year-old has 14 goal contributions in 18 matches, and has shown that he has the knack to score decisive goals. Naderi has also become a regular for the Czechia national team, and that is surely down to his performances in Scotland.

How Derek McInnes has managed to get Naderi to sing from the same hymn sheet

McInnes gave every player a clean slate when he arrived and made it clear what he wanted each player to do. With Naderi, the manager focused on his work rate and physical presence, making him a menace for opposition defenders. Last season, the striker was not doing much off the ball, but under McInnes he seems to pop up in the right place at the right time, and that has led to him scoring goals and creating chances.

The 55-year-old has also given the Czechia international the confidence to thrive and has praised him in public on countless occasions. Naderi seems to be someone who does well with an arm-around-the-shoulder approach, and he has repaid the manager’s faith in him.

Naderi also seems to be better playing with another striker around him and has struck an impeccable understanding with Kevin Kelsy up top.