Derek McInnes wasn't always able to persuade Walter Smith of his suitability for a place in the Rangers starting line-up in the late 1990s, but Smith has no reservations when it comes to the managerial abilities of his former player. 

Not only does the storied 66-year-old feel Aberdeen's title challenge this season is genuine, he acknowledges McInnes has already done enough in the game to be regarded as a plausible future Rangers manager.

Speaking at the launch of Level5PR - set up by former Rangers head of communications James Traynor - Smith welcomed the Pittodrie side's attempts to wrest domination from the Old Firm teams who have shared the Scottish top-flight title for the last 30 years and urged their players to embrace the possibility, rather than try to pretend it isn't happening.

"Aberdeen have made big strides this year and Scotland needs them to continue to make these strides," said Smith who won 21 trophies during an illustrious managerial career. "Derek has gone in there and settled the team down and I can honestly see them challenging this season.

"Celtic will be there, but it depends, again, if they have a European run. They have two games [home and away against Inter Milan] to play just now and if they get more, how they come back and handle the domestic game will be interesting. It allows Aberdeen an opportunity they will enjoy, challenging for the championship. I'm not going to say they are going to win it but they will challenge."

Smith was assistant manager to Jim McLean at Dundee United in 1983 when the Tannadice club emerged strongest from a four-way title shoot-out involving Celtic, Aberdeen and Hearts, and believes you must never shy away from the contest.

"If you want to win a league you have to accept the challenge of going and trying to win every game you play," Smith said. "The first half of the season has indicated Aberdeen can be there, although Celtic, if they win their games in hand, would be at the top.

"It's dead easy to play it down and I hear them all saying: 'We'll just take this or take that and the next thing.' But by playing it down, you give yourself an excuse. If you are good enough to get up there, then you're good enough to win it. You have to accept that aspect to it and get on with it. It should be a realistic target for them."

While it was his close friend Ally McCoist who succeeded Smith at Ibrox, in terms of his often cautious managerial principles it may be McInnes who is his true heir. While Aberdeen's hardy 4-2-3-1 shape is more attacking than the effective yet defensive brand of play that took the Ibrox club to the UEFA Cup final in 2008, they have proved

more than capable of eking out single-goal wins.

"Sometimes as managers we get saddled with a reputation for this, that or the next thing," Smith said. "Going into management you have to win and Aberdeen had that wee spell when they were getting results like 4-3. That's not league championship-winning form.

"Your team must be capable of not performing at their best and still winning and Aberdeen look as though they maybe have that at the moment. A lot of the time I was at Rangers we were defensive, in European games especially. But I don't think Aberdeen are like that. What they've done is defend very well and there's a difference. I think they have a decent balance and are benefiting from that."

Like Smith at Everton, McInnes has a disappointing spell south of the border on his CV.  He saved Bristol City from relegation from the Championship in his first campaign in charge but was sacked the following season with the club rooted to the bottom of the division. But having resurrected his fortunes at Pittodrie, taking Aberdeen to their first trophy since 1995, McInnes is being mentioned in connection with the manager's job at his boyhood heroes Rangers.

Kenny McDowall is ploughing on manfully in the short term, but Smith feels McInnes deserves to be part of the conversation in the future.

"I don't think there's any doubt that he has [done enough to be considered]," Smith said. "He did very well in an environment he was comfortable in at St Johnstone, then went down to Bristol City where, like a whole load of Scottish managers who go down to England, he wasn't getting to manage one of the best clubs.

"He also had a fair amount of turmoil to deal with. Sometimes disappointment can lead you to re-evaluate what you are doing. It can help you. The disappointment will always be with you: I got sacked from Everton and that doesn't disappear; it stays with you.

"But Derek has come back again. He's taken a bit of time to have a look at his club and see what's necessary and he's got them going really well. He will be more careful about where he moves - if he moves. Just now, Aberdeen are a terrific club so he'll be happy to try to build his career again and cement it by doing well there."