Former Aberdeen forward Duncan Shearer believes St Johnstone’s Tommy Wright would be the ideal replacement should Derek McInnes leave the Dons for Rangers.
McInnes appears to be approaching the end of his four-and-a-half years in charge at Pittodrie and missed training yesterday to hold talks with chairman Stewart Milne after an approach from Rangers was rejected on Tuesday night.
Aberdeen are already preparing for life after McInnes and Shearer hopes Perth Saints manager Wright is under consideration if and when the Dons board draws up a shortlist of possible replacements for McInnes.
He said: “Aberdeen have been doing the right thing by trying to keep hold of Derek.
“They obviously turned down a lot of money from Rangers but I don’t think it is about that for Aberdeen.
“It is about trying to keep a really good manager at Pittodrie and I’m sure Stewart Milne has done everything he can to make that happen.
“I will be disappointed if he goes as he has been a very good Dons boss.
“I think it would be a mistake but time will tell.
“We will see how it goes for him but I feel he could have moved on from Aberdeen to a big club in England if he had waited a bit longer.
“If he goes to Rangers, I quite like the idea of Tommy Wright at Aberdeen.
“He has conducted himself fantastically at, without being disrespectful to St Johnstone, a relatively small Premiership club with a small budget.
“I would like him to get the chance at a bigger club.
“He would be the man I would like to see at Pittodrie.”
Shearer expects the Dons to move quickly if Rangers agree compensation with the Pittodrie club for McInnes and a deal is concluded.
He added: “I think the supporters understand the way football works nowadays.
“There is no guarantee you can hold on to a manager.
“If a manager wants to go then there isn’t much you can do.
“Aberdeen have changed managers in the past and they will change managers in the future.
“They will just get on with it.
“They have made a couple of mistakes in the past but they got it right with Derek.
“Hopefully, they get it right again.
“I expect them to move quickly, certainly quicker than Rangers have been in replacing Pedro Caixinha.”