Rangers manager Derek McInnes has expressed confidence that Nigerian defender Emmanuel Fernandez will play an even more influential role for the Scottish giants during the 2026/27 season, following an impressive debut campaign at Ibrox, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
Fernandez, who joined Rangers from Peterborough United last summer, quickly established himself as an important member of the squad, scoring six goals in 33 appearances across all competitions despite the club missing out on the Scottish Premiership title.
Speaking in comments published by Rangers View, McInnes acknowledged the expectations placed on Fernandez and fellow youngster Youssef Chermiti after both arrived at the club with significant transfer fees.
"Both of them are relatively young, and they came with a lot of expectations on them with the price tag and the kind of profile," McInnes said.
The Rangers boss stressed that every player at the club is expected to compete for trophies, while recognising that younger players also need time to develop and fulfil their potential.
"I am pretty sure when you speak to these lads and everybody who signs for Rangers, they should all have that kind of inherent feeling that we are here to win things and be successful. But there is also, at that age, a development process," he added.
McInnes believes Fernandez and Chermiti have already demonstrated their quality and challenged both players to deliver those performances on a more consistent basis.
"Both lads, at their best last season, showed their real quality. The challenge for them and for me is to get their best more often. When they are on top of their game, both have got so much to offer at both ends of the pitch, and I think that hopefully we can see that," he said.
Fernandez will now be looking to build on his impressive first season at Ibrox as he aims to become one of Rangers' standout performers in the 2026/27 campaign.