| Full Name: | Michael Beale |
| Age: | 43 |
| Date Of Birth: | September 4, 1980 |
| Height: | 5 ft 8 |
| Place Of Birth: | Bromley |
| Nationality: | English |
Rangers appointed Michael Beale as the club’s latest manager in November 2022 to replace Giovanni van Bronckhorst. The coach took charge at Ibrox on an initial contract to May 2026.
Beale had previously worked for the Glasgow giants as the assistant coach to Steven Gerrard for three years. While his return to Rangers only marked the Bromley-born tactician’s second senior managerial position. But Beale had served as a coach for 20 years before taking over.
Rangers opted to name Beale as their latest manager after his successful start as a first-team head coach with Queens Park Rangers. The tactician had only overseen 22 matches with the London club. He had also only won nine times but impressed with an attractive playing style.
Rangers manager Michael Beale’s coaching career
QPR appointed Beale as their latest manager in June 2022 after identifying the coach as one of the most exciting young managers in Britain. He quickly took the west London club to the top of the English Championship table, too. But they failed to win any of his final five games.
Beale’s instant success with QPR also drew interest from Wolverhampton Wanderers during October 2022. But the coach snubbed a move to Molineux to replace Bruno Lage after their official approach. Beale had also held talks with Wolves but wanted to remain loyal to QPR.
“It was a real privilege to be asked to speak to them,” Beale said, via The Guardian. “But I didn’t think it was the right moment because I entered into an agreement here. Integrity and loyalty are big things for me and if they are the values you live by, you have to be strong.”
QPR had awarded Beale a three-year contract to replace Mark Warburton. But he left Loftus Road to replace Van Bronckhorst at Ibrox and return to Rangers as their manager a year after Beale departed. The coach followed Gerrard to Aston Villa to remain his assistant manager.
Michael Beale returned to Ibrox one year after leaving
Gerrard sought to continue working with Beale after accepting an offer to be the manager of Aston Villa in November 2021. The pair had helped secure the Premiership title for Rangers’ trophy cabinet the season prior. Their relationship in the Ibrox dugout also started in 2018.
Beale moved to Glasgow to work beside Gerrard after forming a bond whilst holding the role of head of academy coaching at Liverpool. Gerrard was a youth manager for the Reds at the time. While they would go on to coach more than 190 of Rangers’ fixtures through to 2021.
Liverpool had also previously hired Beale as the U21 coach between 2014 and 2016. Rogerio Ceni briefly convinced the coach to leave the Anfield natives to be his assistant at Sao Paulo. But Beale returned to Liverpool, where he worked from 2012 as their U21 assistant manager.
Chelsea had earlier called on Beale’s services in their academy for a decade before Liverpool poached him, as well. The UEFA Pro Licenced boss took up his first position in coaching with the Blues in 2002. He spent the following 10 years in west London coaching their youth fold.
Michael Beale’s coaching career
Rangers (November 2022 – May 2026 expected)
Queens Park Rangers (June 2022 – November 2022)
Aston Villa (assistant manager, November 2021 – May 2022)
Rangers (assistant manager, June 2018 – November 2021)
Liverpool (head of academy coaching, July 2017 – June 2018)
Sao Paulo (assistant manager, January 2017 – June 2017)
Liverpool (U21 manager, August 2014 – December 2016)
Liverpool (U21 assistant manager, July 2012 – June 2014)
Chelsea (youth coach, July 2002 – June 2012)
Michael Beale’s playing career
Rangers manager Beale never played one single game of first-team football having ended his playing career as a youth. The Londoner started in the academy of Charlton Athletic in 1998 as a left winger. But the Addicks released him in 2001 having failed to show an aerial ability.
FC Twente gave Beale a brief trial in the Netherlands upon his departure from Charlton. But he could not make the trial or brief subsequent chances in the United States stick and would retire at just 21 years old. A move into coaching then followed as he founded a futsal school.
Beale used the money he had remaining from his playing career to start a futsal academy in a church hall in his hometown of Bromley. His branch of the Brazilian Soccer Schools franchise would create Beale’s passion for developing young players and lead to his role with Chelsea.
Michael Beale at Rangers
Rangers appointed Beale as their latest manager having opted to fire Van Bronckhorst after just one year. The Dutchman had guided the Gers to the Europa League final after replacing Gerrard. But the axe fell as their Premiership title hopes faded after falling nine points adrift.
Van Bronckhorst also oversaw a dire run on the Ibrox side’s return to the Champions League group stage. The Gers ended the opening round of the UEFA tournament bottom of Group A with zero points. They also conceded a whopping 22 goals over six games to just two scored.
Despite their troubles under Van Bronckhorst, Beale started his tenure as the latest manager of Rangers with four consecutive wins. He would go on to oversee a 13-game unbeaten start at Ibrox. But Celtic dealt Beale his first loss in the Scottish League Cup final at Hampden Park.