Jermain Defoe shares ‘special’ Rangers prediction under Michael Beale next season
Jermain Defoe has predicted a “special season” for Rangers next time out if they stick by manager Michael Beale, who is “obsessed” with football.
Beale has come under increasing pressure in the Ibrox dugout, with the club nine points behind fierce rivals Celtic in the Scottish Premiership table.
But Defoe, who made 74 appearances for Rangers and is now coaching the Under-18s at former club Tottenham, has backed the Gers for success next season.
“Mick has been coaching for about 20 years all over the world,” said Defoe, as quoted by the Scottish Daily Express. “Tactically he’s amazing. I learned so much from Mick, even at my age with all my experience in the game I was still able to learn a lot from Mick. I still speak to him now.
“The players love him. Every training session was good. He’s really clever, loves his football. He’s obsessed. It will be interesting to see how the boys do next season.
“It’s an amazing group with some fantastic players. I’m really looking forward to next season because I believe with a full pre-season going into the league next year I believe it will be a special season for the club.”
Success incoming?
Defoe knows Beale very well, and is backing will be of great comfort to the Rangers manager amid all the negativity and scrutiny he has faced in recent times.
The boss will be fully aware of how much he needs to close that gap at the top, as well as bring some cup trophies to Ibrox if he plans on staying at the club for a lengthy period.
Defoe definitely speaks some truth, with Beale only taking over in the dugout at the end of 2022, meaning he needs more time to fully establish his operation at Rangers.
The summer transfer window will be key in preparing the club for next season’s fight against Celtic, who look certain to lift the Scottish Premiership trophy this time around.
But Beale can definitely appease any tension at the minute by lifting the Scottish Cup this season, with Rangers set to face Celtic at Hampden Park in the semi-final next month.
In other Rangers news, Tam McManus believes Scotland fans were “bang out of order” for booing midfielder Ryan Jack before the Euro 2024 qualifier against Cyprus on Saturday (25 March).