MICHAEL Beale has shared his pride and excitement at being announced as the 18th manager of Rangers Football Club.
In an exclusive first interview with RangersTV, Beale said he’s ready to face the challenge and hopes to bring style and excitement to Ibrox.
He said: “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 is extremely special.
“Some wonderful people have sat in this chair prior to me and I am hugely proud to be the person sitting here now.
“I am a different person, in the time that I left I have had different experiences in the Premier League and then being a manager in the Championship. I feel that I am more than ready and more than equipped to do the job here.
Beale insists there was never a question of returning to Rangers as he shared his delight at being back in Glasgow.
He continued: “Whenever you get an opportunity to come back to Rangers or to work for Rangers it is always the right moment. I'm leaving a fantastic football club and owners that were very good to me so there was a tinge of sadness in terms of leaving that journey but huge excitement for me and my family to come back to Glasgow and back to this football club.
“I followed the club closely every game and I still speak to some of the players and support them because we have been on a big journey and a big experience together in the past.
“The last few days in terms of knowing there was an opportunity to come back and then reconnecting with the board and Ross [Wilson] was hugely exciting.”
When asked about his managerial style, Beale said he likes to be close to the players on the pitch as he looks to excite both the players and fans with performances.
He continued: “I am a field coach, I want to be out there, I want to be with the players. The staff that I am bringing with me are very similar to myself in terms of coaching experience with a number of years in big clubs.
“They know what elite looks like and they know the standards. There are a number of players here who know that as well so it is a matter of shaking the tree a little bit and getting everybody to where they need to be mentally. Firstly, that starts with the individual and then that makes a stronger Rangers team and a stronger club.
“We have no time to lose, we have to win every game and we have to win in style. That is what it takes to be here at Rangers, that is the task that I was excited to take on and the expectation is a privilege.”