The Rangers plan for Tom Lawrence mapped out by Michael Beale as boss tells all about luckless star

Michael Beale has been limited to picking Tom Lawrence’s brains since taking over at Rangers.

But the Light Blues boss is looking forward to the fast-approaching day when he’ll be able to pick the injured Ibrox ace for his new-look line-up. The former Derby skipper hasn’t kicked a ball for the team he joined last summer since injuring knee ligaments back in August.

Encouraged by a string of promising early displays for the man who signed him Gio van Brockhorst, the Ibrox faithful were initially reassured his lay off would only keep him out a couple of weeks. But it’s been one thing and after another for the Welshman and he’s now not expected back until after Beale’s squad gather for pre-season at the start of July.

It’s an old cliche but for Van Bronckhorst’s replacement, Lawrence’s return is already being looked at with the same excitement he’s reserving for the raft of new signings due to be arriving this summer. In the meantime, new Rangers gaffer Beale has made sure to keep the 29-year-old clued in on the plans for his Rangers rebuild.

Those discussion have also involved Beale asking Lawrence for his own take on why things have go so badly for a team he’s now spent nine months studying from the stands.

He might qualify as the forgotten man of Ibrox but Beale wants Lawrence to know that while he’s out of sight he’s certainly not out of mind, with his name earmarked for a key role once he’s back up and running. Beale said: “The first thing you do [when you take over as manager] is make him aware that you know him as a player and he knows that because we played against each other a lot.

“You let him know he is valued and you ask him for an opinion from watching from the outside. And, as he gets closer, then you start