Liam Thomas

Tue 20 December 2022 9:10, UK

Former Rangers goalkeeper Andy Firth has revealed the help he received from Michael Beale after being released from the club in the summer by Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Firth has since found a new home in Wales playing for Welsh outfit Nomads where he has gone on to make 17 appearances since joining in the summer.

The goalkeeper confessed to The Athletic that he “turned to” Beale for guidance following his Rangers release, something which evidently helped the 26-year-old.

“His time at the club ended when he was released by Giovanni van Bronckhorst in the summer after his contract expired,” as quoted by The Athletic.

“He turned to Beale for guidance and has now found a new home from home in Wales with Nomads, for whom he has made 17 appearances since joining in the summer.”

Backing homegrown.

Beale seems to want to back homegrown talent and recently suggested that he wants to sign more Scottish players to his Rangers side.

Whether this is a strong move or not remains to be seen though, are Scottish Premiership players to the level that the Gers require to compete in Europe? It’s unlikely they are.

Scottish players are obviously a must for Rangers but they need to be up to the standards of wearing the Light Blue shirt before they are considered.

This may be a strategy to save some transfer funds too, it’s still unclear what kind of cash influx Beale will be given when the January window opens.

You’ve got to think that it won’t be much, so saying that he wants to sign some more homegrown players ties in well with that narrative.

With luck, the club will explore some options from further afield still, some of the Gers best players in recent seasons have come from foreign shores.

Under Steven Gerrard, this is how Beale usually operated, with the duo preferring players like Connor Goldson over the likes of homegrown talent like Nathan Patterson.

In other Rangers news, an out-of-court agreement could be reached for the Gers as documents have been submitted.