Chris Sutton pleads his Rangers 'innocence' as Micah Richards takes Celtic hero to task over 'personal' Beale dig

Chris Sutton had a verbal joust with Micah Richards as the former Manchester City defender accused him of making it personal with Michael Beale.

The Celtic hero has got into a war of words with the Rangers boss in recent weeks after Beale branded him a "comedy act" and the "worst ever player" to run out for his boyhood club Chelsea. Sutton has since responded calling him "thin-skinned" and tweeted after the Viaplay Cup final to point out that Beale is yet to win a trophy - as a player or a manager.

And he said on BBC Radio 5 Live that he'll now have to "climb into his box and lick his wounds" after defeat to his former side at Hampden. Sutton said: "There's that old adage isn't there? 'Actions speak louder than words.' Michael Beale's gone into Rangers and he's had a really positive start but he's had a lot to say for himself, calling out the Celtic manager and suggesting that he was lucky.

"I think he can learn a lot from the Celtic manager. Beale, with the nature of Rangers' performance especially in the first half, is having to climb back into his box and lick his wounds. It was a sore loss for Rangers, Celtic deserved to win the game on a difficult pitch."

Richards though wasn't quite having it as he pointed to Sutton's tweet as evidence that he antagonised the Ibrox boss. He said: "Can you talk me through your tweet then? What was your tweet to Mr Beale? Something about how he's not won anything as a player or as a manager... Are you being a bit facetious? It's a bit personal this, Christopher, no? You're better than that."

But Sutton responded: "That was just a factual thing. I was just pointing out a stat. I've misunderstood, I've said this many times, it's just an innocent stat I've put out there. What's the