Dean Shiels Cup Final, which Kilmarnock won after beating Celtic 1–0. Shiels was shortlisted for the SPFA Players' Player of the Year award, along with Jon Daly, Steven Davis and Charlie Mulgrew. Shiels rejected the offer of a new contract with Kilmarnock and left the club at the end of the season. Shiels signed for Rangers on 31 July 2012. Kilmarnock's chairman Michael Johnson believes Rangers had underestimate Kilmarnock to get Shiels. Shiels vowed to make the club win a trophy this season and revealed he turned down clubs around Europe, which he could even play in the Champions League; instead, preferring
Kenny Shiels the club, having a rejected a move from an English club in the past week. A week later, on 22 May 2012, Shiels signed a two-year contract extension. At the start of the 2012–13 season, Shiels was given two-match touchline ban by the SFA in June, having served one suspension on the last game of the season and miss one match at the opening game of the season. His touchline ban was given over commenting made about a referee's decisions made in a match between Celtic and St Johnstone. Following a controversial penalty in a 2-0 defeat against Hibernian on