Michael Beale admits it's a proud moment to become the new manager of Rangers.

The highly-regarded coach has completed his return to the Ibrox club a little over one-year after leaving.

He spent three-and-a-half years with Rangers serving as first team coach under Steven Gerrard.

He left last November to join the Liverpool legend at Aston Villa before taking on the hotseat at QPR in the summer.

Now, he's signed as Rangers manager until 2026. 

And he insists he's extremely excited about the challenge ahead.

He said: “It is fantastic to be back and to see everybody this morning, there are some new faces but some people that I know really well so it is great to see everyone. 

"I am hugely proud, it is a wonderful, wonderful football club, it is an institution. 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."

A full interview with Beale will be published on RangersTV tonight.

The club statement in full reads: "Michael Beale is the 18th manager of Rangers with the club delighted to confirm his appointment today.

"Signing a contract to 2026, the 42 year-old joins from his role as manager of Queens’ Park Rangers in West London having previously worked as first-team coach at Ibrox from 2018 to last November.

"It is an exciting appointment for the club, with Beale undoubtedly one of the most sought-after young managers in British football.

"Indeed, in his previous time at Rangers he tirelessly supported manager Steven Gerrard and the technical staff in working towards winning title number 55 in 2021, while the club, under Gerrard, was relaunched on the European stage and built a superb reputation once there.

"Beale has strong, existing relationships with many members of the first-team squad, and, of course, fully understands the unique nature of Rangers Football Club and the demands and standards that come with representing the club.

"To date, his coaching career has seen him hold roles within the academies at Chelsea and Liverpool; as assistant manager at Sao Paulo in Brazil, and also as first-team coach at Rangers and Aston Villa before taking the QPR lead job in the summer.

"Beale will now have time to prepare his squad at the Rangers Training Centre, with his first competitive game coming on December 15 at home to Hibernian, albeit Gers will first host Bayer Leverkusen in a friendly match on December 10.

"Rangers would like to put on record their thanks to Queens’ Park Rangers for the professional manner in which they have conducted negotiations.

"Neil Banfield, Harry Watling and Damian Matthew will all join Michael at Rangers, with further appointments to be confirmed in the days ahead."

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