Michael Beale details Rangers sporting director state of play

The Ibrox boss has no qualms operating on his own after Ross Wilson's departure to Nottingham Forest but would be equally comfortable should a new sporting director be appointed.

Beale admitted he has lost a "friend and colleague" through Wilson's exit but is confident there will be no issues moving forward in his absence.

Much of his confidence comes after clear communication with the board and new chairman John Bennett over the situation in the past few days.

But there's no guarantee another sporting director will be appointed with Beale suggesting Bennett would "take his time" to analyse the best protocol going forward and whether a new man must be installed to replace Wilson.

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He said: "In that sort of role, sporting director, technical director whatever you want to term it, I think it's the safeguarding of the club. 

"It is someone who oversees the departments - one of those departments being the first-team. And I think it safeguards the club in terms of future management signings and making sure the strategy from the board is put in place.

"It's replaced the old-fashioned managers of years gone past, a manager that does it all. It's what suits each club, there is no right or wrong. I'm sure our board and John Bennett now will take his time to assess everything and decide what comes next.

"In the short term, I will oversee what happens here at the training ground day in day out. I am very close to the recruitment staff anyway, a lot of our targets and the conversations are up and running, pre-season is planned.

"So, for me, it is the loss of a close ally at the club and a good friend that I enjoyed working with but in terms of my role I just crack on as normal."

"My communication with the board here at Rangers is really strong, you have to think that I am not a new member of staff that has come in from November. A lot of these board members I have known since 2018 so there is a long-term relationship.

"They made me an offer to come back so it tells you my links within this club are strong and the communication lines are strong. With John taking over from Douglas it is a familiar face. I have got a direct line to him, Stewart Robertson I have got a good relationship with, so in terms of the communication in the short-term there is no problem.

"If the club deems fit that we should have another sporting director then that's a good model for the club because it's a wide-reaching role at Rangers. It has an overseeing of line managing the academy staff, the women's staff, not just the first-team manager. It's recruitment, everybody that comes in, it's the buffer between those heads of department and the board.

"That's how a lot of clubs work now. Five or 10 years ago maybe it wasn't the norm in the UK but now it very much is. In the short-term am I able with the head of recruitment and all of the line managers to do their jobs, of course I am.

"Once we get through the summer window or we get into the summer if the club deems that it feels good the way that it is at the moment then no problem. 

"I have got no problem working alone or with a sporting director."

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On Wilson's exit, Beale added: "We wish him well. I think in and around the training ground he was a huge positive figure and someone that I worked closely with. 

"We've been having chats behind the scenes for a couple of weeks and it was clear that he felt this was an opportunity for him to go to a new club and start a new journey.

"We wish him well, he was well-liked around the club, a lot of the players were recruited in the time that Ross was here and he's got a lot of time for them and it's vice-versa.

"He's a friend as well as a colleague so we really wish him well."

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