Michael Beale insists Rangers’ Seville surge has transformed the Ibrox manager’s job into a gig no-one can turn down.
Steven Gerrard’s former No.2 - who was yesterday unveiled as QPR boss - has been spoken about as a potential future candidate to lead Gers once Giovanni van Bronckhorst eventually departs.
But the 41-year-old expects to find himself way down the list of big-name contenders to take over in Govan after watching the Dutchman put the club back on the map with his team’s incredible charge to last month's Europa League final.
Beale - speaking as he officially started work at Loftus Road after quitting his post beside Gerrard at Aston Villa - was asked if he one day dreamed of a return to Ibrox and said: “No one turns down Glasgow Rangers.
“As it stands just now I was a good assistant at Rangers.
“Where Rangers are now they can secure any manager they want.
“I’m just a novice manager and I have to do well here at QPR. Do I have a lot of friends at Rangers and are friendly with the board? Yes, my links are strong.
“But, when Gio eventually decides to move on they will have a host of people after the job.
“The club has just played in the Europa League final.
“I think they will be looking at much bigger fish than Mick Beale.”
Former Liverpool kids coach Beale was handpicked by Gerrard in 2018 to be his right-hand man when the ex-Anfield skipper was tasked with rebuilding the Ibrox set-up after its flailing Premiership return.
The refurbishment of the Light Blues squad into genuine championship contenders was eventually completed the season before last as Gers stormed to an unbeaten title triumph.
That success sparked wild scenes round the city as the Gers faithful toasted their Invincible squad and proved to Beale - who has also worked with Chelsea and Brazilian giants Sao Paulo - that Glasgow ranks just as high as any of the world’s true footballing hotbeds.
Beale - who made the move to Villa Park with Gerrard back in November - said: “I moved the family up there and lived for three and a half years in Balfron.
“I really enjoyed my time there and it was difficult to move on.
“You are leaving a massive club and an institution.
“I have left big clubs before - Chelsea, Liverpool and Sao Paulo - I seem to run away from everywhere after a few years!!
“Rangers as big as any of them.
“You only have to look at the 48,000 season tickets and the fans around the world.
“Rangers are as big as any club I have worked for.
“It is a fantastic football city. A little bit crazy and a little bit intense at times.
“I think sometimes the glass is half full rather than half empty and we tend to bash ourselves on the head rather than celebrate the good things that are happening.
“For the last three or four years there has been two great teams in the country doing well in the league, developing players and doing fantastic in Europe. I don't think that is promoted enough.
“That is the way of Glasgow. I loved it because I love the intensity and the pressure.
“Pressure is a privilege in this game. If you are not under pressure then you are at the wrong level
“I will always love that pressure we had to win well as a narrow win was never celebrated.
“I will always have that standard inside me. I have been around clubs where the expectation is to do well.
“I loved my time in Scotland and the one or two moments when I got hot-headed was me turning into one of you guys.
“I was forgetting I come from Kent!
“We lived an amazing experience together in 20/21.
“To play 56 games and lose just two [cup matches] - plus a third on penalties - left me frustrated. I know people were running around, singing and dancing in the streets.
“But, I wasn't. I was like a bear with a sore head because I felt we should have won more.”
