Michael Beale appointed Rangers manager as QPR boss makes stunning Ibrox return

MICHAEL BEALE has been named the next manager of Rangers – just 12 months after he left the club as part of Steven Gerrard’s coaching team.

The Englishman leaves Queen’s Park Rangers as he succeeds the sacked Giovanni van Bronckhorst to become the club’s EIGHTEENTH permanent manager after agreeing a three-and-a-half year deal at Ibrox.

And he has his work cut out immediately – as he bids to overhaul a NINE-point deficit on reigning champs and early-season Premiership leaders Celtic.

It comes just weeks after reports suggested he knocked back the chance to become manager of Wolves.

Riding high in the Championship with QPR as recently as a month ago, results have tailed off recently.

The Englishman made a visit to Ibrox to take in the 4-1 win over Aberdeen – spending some time mixing with fans in the nearby Louden Tavern before the match.

Rangers will be the biggest job of Beale’s career – and caps a remarkable rise for the former Chelsea and Liverpool youth coach.

Making the acquaintance of former Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard during his time working in the Liverpool academy, Beale cut his teeth in the senior game as assistant boss to Rogerio Ceni at Sao Paolo.

But before long Beale was being recruited by Rangers supremo Dave King as Steven Gerrard’s first team coach.

Three and a half seasons at Ibrox culminated in the Ibrox men stopping Celtic’s ten-in-a-row bid as they claimed their first title in a decade.

The Gers were also four points clear when Aston Villa came calling for Gerrard 12 months ago, only for the Liverpool icon’s time to turn sour.

Things also unravalled for the Ibrox men under Van Bronckhorst, even though he took them to the Europa League final and back into the Champions League.

Beale left Gerrard’s side back in the summer for his brief stint at Queen’s Park Rangers but he is moving on again as he returns to Glasgow.

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