Brendan Rodgers and Michael Beale's intertwining careers as Rangers boss ‘fell in line' with Celtic rival

We may be unlikely to see it addressed directly when Brendan Rodgers and Michael Beale are in the respective dugouts in Glasgow. But the two go back almost 20 years...with Beale previously admitting his new adversary is one of his coaching inspirations.

It's a new challenge facing Brendan Rodgers but there is a familiarity there as the Northern Irishman gets set to take over from Ange Postecoglou. Both because he's been here before, and because he knows the man in the dugout across the city like the back of his hand. Rodgers and Rangers boss Michael Beale go back to the days they were both working within Chelsea's youth system in 2004 and their respective careers have crossed paths various times since; at Liverpool and later in Glasgow while Beale coached under Steven Gerrard.

Rodgers is set to be appointed Celtic's new manager tasked with replacing Ange Postecoglou and maintaining their dominance over Rangers having just stormed to a domestic Treble, something Rodgers was no stranger to during his first term at Parkhead. And Beale is on record admitting he's learned plenty of what he knows from Rodgers' philosophy.

Beale was already at Stamford Bridge coaching the under-sevens when Rodgers was named their head of youth by Jose Mourinho in 2004 and by the time Rodgers was appointed Liverpool boss to replace Kenny Dalglish in 2012, he once again found Beale on his staff. By now coaching an under-15s side which included Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Speaking of his time at Liverpool, Beale said in 2018: "When I was on holiday in Spain, I had a chance meeting with Frank (McParland), who was the Liverpool academy manager. We got talking and he said there was a vacancy coming up. I went to speak to Liverpool and I moved there in