Former Aston Villa coach Michael Beale' s mammoth role inside the Midlands club has been laid bare by goalkeeper Emi Martinez.
The former Rangers assistant - described as Steven Gerrard 's "brain" at Ibrox - left Villa in the summer for QPR and his work at Loftus Road had Premier League toilers Wolves desperate to make him their next boss. However, the 42-year-old declined as he eyes returning the West Londoners to the top flight. The Championship pace-setters have thrilled onlookers with a stirring brand of football which has left punters giddy. But his rise comes amid Gerrard's fall as the 42-year-old looks rebound after his unceremonious 11-month misstep at Villa Park.
Beale's transformational impact at Ibrox has been regaled by Rangers players, coaches and supporters who still covet the man who helped mastermind consecutive trips to the last 16 of the Europa League and secured the fastest Scottish Premiership title triumph in history. And Beale's ability left a major impression on Argentina international Martinez. The 30-year-old - speaking to Prime Sport earlier this year - admitted he had never worked with a No.2 who served as the face of the coaching operation.
He said: "It’s the first time in 14 to 15 years of my career that the assistant coach does all the talking, Michael Beale. He knows so much about football, it’s just incredible. He does all the training sessions, he takes all the important meetings, obviously Stevie G talks too. In every club, the manager does all the talking and the assistant helps. With Michael, we felt him and Stevie G are both the managers.”
Gerrard held an exit meeting with his former Aston Villa players on Thursday night following the trouncing at the hands of Fulham. He will now exit the spotlight as he weighs up his next move in football.
READ NEXT
