“It was devastating, but I didn’t have much time to reflect on how last season ended and then straight into the World Cup, which is one of the most special moments of your career.
“My mum, my dad and my girlfriend are over in America supporting you. So you are trying to enjoy that as much as you can.
“I thought it would be a good idea going there off-contract, but it wasn’t.
“It was too stressful. It was hard just being in the moment being at the World Cup and dealing with all that and the noise around it, and my dad asking me every day what’s going on.”
Devlin failed to add to his five Australia caps at the World Cup and a week after their last-32 defeat by Egypt, Hearts announced he would not be signing a new contract, with Rangers announcing his capture the following day.
McInnes had gone from a position of trying to persuade Devlin to stay at Tynecastle one week to one of enticing the midfielder to Ibrox the next.
“Everyone knows the relationship I have with the gaffer where we are super close and he was so good for me at Hearts and everyone knows the season we had there,” Devlin said. “He helped me so much as a player.
“I was not trying to focus on it too much and just enjoy the World Cup, but when the opportunity came, it was one that was too good to pass up.”
Devlin says it was “a hard decision to make” to leave Hearts.
“Hearts is such a special football club and I will be forever grateful for giving me the opportunity to play football outside Australia,” he said.
“There were obviously other things I had to weigh up with Hearts – I’ve never been in that position where I’ve been off-contract.
“Rangers was one that came a bit later and I’ve been in Scotland for quite a while now and know how big a football club it is.
“Being a Rangers player is super special and something I never thought would happen. It was just something I couldn’t say no to.”
As for last season’s title heartache, Devlin added: “Football is cruel sometimes and you just have to pick yourself up and take the next opportunity.
“Hopefully I can go one better with Rangers.”
