There was a period where it would come as a shock to read a Rangers line-up without Glen Kamara's name - recently it would perhaps raise more eyebrows when he was selected from the start at Ibrox.

Kamara - signed for £50,000 from Dundee - had nailed his place in the team and was a key figure in the success under Steven Gerrard.

When Giovanni van Bronckhorst was in charge, however, the midfielder slipped down the pecking order and was reduced to a bit-part role at times.

The Finland international - recently named Men's Player of the Year for his country - played upwards of 50 games in consecutive seasons between 2020 and 2022.

However, with just 16 games played so far this season, it was clear that Van Bronckhorst didn't value the player with the same huge importance as the previous management team.

Beale on the other hand has set his stall out immediately and revealed Kamara will be a "big player" for the Ibrox side going forward.

And that's good news in the opinion of ex-Rangers favourite Brian Laudrup who has tipped Beale to help Kamara rediscover his form at Ibrox.

In his Daily Mail column, Laudrup wrote: "Look, in particular, at what Beale said about Glen Kamara. 'He will be a big player going forward.' It's a simple statement. But, to me, one clearly designed to make Kamara feel he is important again. Because that had been lost in recent times.

"The midfielder comes across as a quiet, mild-mannered person. Not one with a huge ego. Everyone needs reassurance, though, and Kamara plainly wasn't a key man towards the end of Van Bronckhorst's reign.

"Now, however, Beale is trying to build him up. He is showing he has faith but will expect that to be rewarded with performances on the park. And quickly. Perhaps better than anyone, Beale knows what Kamara can offer."

Kamara is still contracted for another three seasons at Ibrox - and Laudrup reckons if he's given a major role he can contribute on the field and potentially off it with a big money move.

He added: "He is only 27 and has a contract until 2025. A player of his talent can't just drift away from being an effective part of Rangers.

"Instead, he should be someone capable of delivering a big fee in the future. It looks like he's going to be one of those trusted to put Beale's vision into practice."


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