Rangers have announced the appointment of Michael Beale as head coach, with the 42-year-old controversially walking out on QPR.
Beale returns to Rangers having previously worked at Ibrox during Steven Gerrard’s tenure, before following him to Aston Villa in 2021. Beale was only handed his first role as a No.1 in the summer, when given the reigns at Loftus Road.
After a smart start to the season in west London, at one point leading QPR to the top of the Championship table, he made headlines in October when rejecting a move to Premier League side Wolves, explaining: “Integrity and loyalty are big things for me and if they are the values you live by you have to be strong. I have been all-in here and I have asked other people to be all-in so I can’t be the first person to run away from the ship."
However, after a run of only four points from six games since - which has seen QPR slide to outside the play-off places in the second tier - Beale has indeed elected to jump ship little more than a month later, heading north of the border much to the disappointment of QPR’s top brass.
QPR chairman Amit Bhatia made his displeasure public last week when Rangers’ interest in appointing Beale to replace Giovanni van Bronckhorst became public knowledge, liking a tweet that criticised Beale.
And QPR’s statement confirming his exit was notable for its lack of comment from Bhatia. QPR Director of Football Les Ferdinand did however say: “Naturally we are hugely disappointed to lose Mick.
“Our extensive research when we were looking for a new head coach highlighted him as being very-much aligned with the direction we are moving in as a football club.
“The start to the season we have made, coupled with very attractive football being played, gave us cause for optimism as we looked to build on the previous three seasons.
“That optimism remains but there is no doubt it is a blow to lose Mick so soon into his tenure.”
On his appointment by Rangers, Beale 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.”
