It's not Frank Lampard: Rangers appoint Beale's replacement

Frank Lampard, formerly of Chelsea and Everton, was reportedly a target for the managerial position at Rangers. Preliminary conversations had taken place, and the 45-year-old manager was interested in heading to Ibrox.

As of early October, they were looking for a replacement for Michael Beale, who they had fired. The Englishman lost his job following the 3-1 loss to Aberdeen on October 1.

The brutal defeat put the Light Blues seven points behind table leaders Celtic, after seven games in the Scottish Premiership season.

However, it’s safe to say that Frank Lampard won’t be filling the Rangers‘ managerial vacancy. On Sunday, the Ibrox outfit stated that Philippe Clement would be taking over as the new head coach.

What did Clement say?

The Belgian manager has extensive experience after having served in prior roles at Beveren, Genk, Club Brugge, and Monaco before taking over in Glasgow.

The 49-year-old can boast of lifting three Belgian Pro League titles as a manager, two with Brugge and one with Genk.

After being let go by Monaco in June, he found himself unemployed. Now, Clement’s appointment in Scotland is contingent upon his obtaining a work visa, and his contract will last for three-and-a-half years.

The Rangers website quoted Clement as saying: “I am honored to have been appointed as the new manager of Rangers and I’d like to thank the board for giving me this opportunity. I am hugely excited by this chance to achieve success at one of Europe’s most iconic clubs across four competitions in what remains of this season and beyond.

“I am looking forward to meeting with the players in the coming days and to meeting our supporters at next Saturday’s home match with Hibernian, as we set out together to create a successful, winning Rangers.”

What did Rangers say?

John Bennett, the club’s chairman, chimed in as well: “I would like to offer my warm congratulations to Philippe as he becomes our 19th manager. His appointment comes at the end of a carefully planned and comprehensive recruitment process.

“A team led by our CEO James Bisgrove, members of the board, and former Rangers player and manager Graeme Souness, has spent the last 10 days interviewing several high-caliber candidates, with those individuals undergoing a rigorous interview and vetting process. We thank all candidates for their interest in the position.

“Philippe proved to be the outstanding candidate across all the key criteria, reinforced by his track record of winning titles and I wish him every success as he leads us forward.”

Photo credit: IMAGO / PanoramiC