BACK IN THE GAME
Michael Beale’s former Rangers No 2 finds new job – as he teams up with ex-Celtic star
He previously had a mini row with former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou
FORMER Rangers assistant boss Neil Banfield is back in football.
The experienced coach was taken by Michael Beale to Rangers as his No 2 having served in a similar role under him at Queen's Park Rangers.
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That's after decades learning his trade as part of Arsenal's backroom team under Arsene Wenger.
But he was left looking for a new club when Beale was shown the door by Rangers after ten months in charge.
Beale too is on the look-out for a new post after lasting just 12 games at Sunderland but Banfield will now join newly appointed first team manager Alex Revell at Stevenage.
Revell, a 40-year-old former striker, made 57 appearances for the club as a player and been in interim charge since 17 April.
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It's just been announced that he is replacing Steve Evans as permanent boss, after the Celtic-daft Scot left Lamex Stadium to return to former club Rotherham United.
And also part of the new broom at Stevenage is former Celtic youth star Scott Cuthbert.
Defender Cuthbert came through the ranks at Parkhead alongside Si Ferry, who he also played alongside at Swindon Town under Paolo di Canio.
He spent four years as a player at Stevenage late on in his career, rising to club captain and now returns as the third part of the new regime.
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Chairman Phil Wallace said: “We’ve taken our time to consider various candidates, but we believe the dynamics of our squad dictated that Alex was the natural successor to Steve.
"Alex knows the players, he’s been part of the original recruitment metric and, importantly, he’s held in high esteem by the dressing room.
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"However, we wanted to improve our chances of success on the pitch by providing an experienced coach/assistant manager with in-game expertise and years of experience winning games.
“In this regard, we’ve also appointed the Management Team that Alex has chosen with Neil Banfield joining as Assistant Manager/First Team coach and Scott Cuthbert taking over Alex’s former number three role”.
The statement added: "Neil Banfield was at Arsenal for 21 years, progressing through the Academy coaching positions before being appointed as First Team coach under Arsène Wegner in 2012, a position he held for six years.
This was followed in 2019 by three years as First Team coach at QPR in the Championship, before moving in November 2022 with QPR manager Michael Beale to Glasgow Rangers as First Team coach. He left that position in December 2023.
"Scott Cuthbert needs no introduction to Boro’ fans having captained the Club and making 139 appearances for Stevenage in a career that spanned 20 years. It’s great to welcome him back."
Banfield was at the centre of a minor Old Firm furore when he took umbrage with comments from Ange Postecoglou about the Hoops 'dominating' the League Cup final.
Banfield said at the time: "I have got to say he has been first-class but he said one or two things that I have remembered and I will remember.
"He said one or two things that make you want to say: 'Okay, right, we're coming'."
Afterwards, Banfield admitted he had maybe phrased his comments wrongly.
He said: "Ange had made a comment and being another coach it was, 'Okay, we're gonna make sure that next time you don't dominate the game'.
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"Which is fair, he's the manager of Celtic!
"You look for any little thing to help drive your team on, you say, 'Look, this is what their manager said, we don't want that to happen again'.
"Maybe I didn't use the right words to say we're coming for him the next game.
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"I probably wouldn't use that language again. I'd word it a different way, the press up there can use it, but it was only meant as a spur to spur us on in the next game to try and win and have a go to win it and not be dominated."
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