Michael Beale wants to hire long-time friend Damien Matthew for Rangers coaching staff
Michael Beale wants to bring long-time friend and coach Damien Matthew with him to Rangers as part of his staff, according to Alan Nixon.
Beale has entered talks with the Gers about a possible return to Ibrox as first-team manager to replace Giovanni Van Bronckhorst (26 November), although QPR are yet to give Rangers permission to formally speak to him abut the vacancy.
But according to The Sun journalist Nixon, writing on his Patreon page (27 November), Beale has already identified Matthew as someone he wants to bring in.
Beale and Matthew have been colleagues and friends for years, working together at Chelsea and coming through the youth coaching ranks together.
Matthew played for Chelsea and Charlton in the Premier League during the nineties, before becoming a coach. He is currently an assistant coach at QPR with Beale.
In place
When the talks head towards backroom staff and forming the people who are coming with the manager, then you know that you’re closing in on an appointment.
Nixon has been right on top of this story for a long time, first reporting Rangers’ interest in Beale a month ago, way before Giovanni van Bronckhorst was even sacked at Ibrox.
Beale is going to want a team around him that he knows well and trusts, for what is without a doubt the biggest job of his career to date and he’s going to need a lot of experience and know-how to help him in any tough moments.
He will feel that Matthew is one of those people, and therefore it’s important that Rangers are able to bring him in also to give Beale the best possible chance of success at the club.
It’s unlikely to be too difficult to do, and the signs are all positive that Beale will be at Ibrox sooner rather than later as the new manager.
In other Rangers news, Jim White shares major overnight update on Rangers chase of Michael Beale