Ex-Rangers coach praises new Sunderland boss Michael Beale and clarifies role after first-team experience

Sunderland Under-21s boss Graeme Murty says Michael Beale is a very talented coach who will have clear ideas about how he wants his team to play.

Beale was appointed the Black Cats' new head coach on Monday and has previously worked with Murty at Rangers, when the former was Steven Gerrard's assistant at Ibrox.

"I've worked with Michael at Rangers," said Murty when asked about Beale. "I've seen him as a member of staff there with Steven Gerrard and he's a very detailed, very talented coach. He's very, very good on the grass, very open, inclusive.

"He'll have clear ideas of what his team is going to be looking like and the identity of the team going forward. It will be interesting to see how the first-team players respond to it and how the team and the squad evolves going forward."

Following Tony Mowbray's sacking earlier this month, Murty had stepped up to work with Sunderland's first-team while the club looked for a new head coach.

When asked if his role will change following Beale's appointment, Murty replied: "I get to go back to the under-21s and look after the group that I've had all year. That's been conveyed to me. I was really, really honoured to be asked to go up. I was thrilled to be part of it and it meant a lot to be asked.

"Hopefully I helped out and I really enjoyed the experience. The first-team players and staff, I have to say, were really welcoming, really open and I thoroughly enjoyed it."