Rangers boss Michael Beale sends Duncan Ferguson message - but quips 'you've chosen sides' in Celtic divide

Michael Beale has welcomed new Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager Duncan Ferguson back to Scottish football but quipped that he won’t be getting any help from the Ibrox side after contacting Celtic first about players.

Beale was just a teenager in London when Ferguson was last involved in domestic Scottish football while a player at Rangers. However, the Ibrox manager got to know all about the striker’s legendary status at Everton when working as a coach at Liverpool.

He also came up against the Scot in January last year when Aston Villa played Everton after Ferguson had taken over for a second spell as caretaker manager. At the time Beale was first team coach under manager Steven Gerrard, whose side ran out narrow 1-0 winners at Goodison Park.

The result spelled an end to Ferguson’s ambitions of being given the job on a full-time basis and though he worked under new permanent appointment Frank Lampard for a spell, he decided to cut ties with Everton to forge his own career in management.

Duncan Ferguson was unveiled as the new Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager earlier this week (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group)

After an unhappy first appointment at Forest Green Rovers, who were relegated to League Two, he has landed the top job at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, with his first game coming this weekend against Arbroath at Gayfield.

Ferguson was unveiled at the Caledonian Stadium on Tuesday morning and has already mentioned he has been on the phone to Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers in the hunt for players.

Asked if he had been in touch with Beale, the Rangers manager replied: “No, he hasn’t”. He added: “But now he’s chosen what side he’s going to, he knows (what the answer would be)!

“Listen, I wish Big Dunc well,” continued Beale. “It’s great to see him back involved in Scottish football. I really wish him well. I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved with Aston Villa when he was interim at Everton and the passion and stuff like that was there in abundance. I reiterate what I said earlier, it’s fantastic to see Duncan Ferguson back involved in Scottish football.”

Ferguson joined Rangers from Dundee United in 1993 in a British record £4 million deal but scored just five times for the Ibrox club before leaving for Everton, initially on loan, in 1994.