Beale returns to Rangers as manager

Michael Beale was named Rangers new manager on Monday as he left Queen’s Park Rangers after just 22 games in charge to return to the Glasgow giants.

Beale spent over three years at Rangers as part of Steven Gerrard’s coaching team before leaving for Aston Villa alongside the former Liverpool captain in November 2021.

During that time, Rangers won their sole league title since 2011 by stopping Celtic winning a historic 10th title in a row in the 2020/21 season.

The 42-year-old was handed his first senior managerial role by QPR in June and a bright start saw him wanted by Wolves for their managerial vacancy last month.

Beale rebuffed that interest but QPR’s form on the field has suffered since with a five-game winless run meaning he leaves with the Londonders seventh in the Championship table.

He returns to Ibrox with Rangers trailing Celtic by nine points at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

That gap saw Giovanni van Bronckhorst sacked last week despite taking Rangers to just their second European final in 50 years last season before missing out on the Europa League to Eintracht Frankfurt in a penalty shootout.

“I am hugely proud, it is a wonderful, wonderful football club, it is an institution,” said Beale in a Rangers statement.

“For everyone that works here it is a huge privilege, but to be the manager of this football club, that is extremely special.

“Some wonderful people have sat in this chair prior to me, and I am hugely proud to be the person sat here now.”

Beale will have over two weeks to work with his squad before the Scottish season resumes on December 15 when Hibernian visit Ibrox.