Aston Villa assistant Michael Beale again in running for Charlton Athletic job

Aston Villa assistant head coach Michael Beale has once again emerged as a contender for the Charlton Athletic hotseat.

Addicks owner Thomas Sandgaard is an admirer of the 41-year-old and he was in the mix for the position when Nigel Adkins was dismissed in October 2021.

The South London Press has been told that paying the compensation for Beale to leave Villa is not likely to be an issue for the US-based Dane.

But Beale is also thought to be in the running for Championship vacancies this summer and also has a strong loyalty to Villa boss Steven Gerrard which could make it difficult to tempt him away from Villa Park.

Sandgaard told our paper in November that he had spoken to Beale about the Charlton vacancy.

“He has a fantastic track record, especially on the supporting side,” said Sandgaard at the time. “Of course we talked to Michael. We’ve also been a little more ambitious than that, in terms of the level of managers we’ve been reaching for.”

Beale spent eight years in Charlton’s academy early in his coaching career before spells with Chelsea as academy lead coach and Liverpool, where he became U23 head coach.

When Gerrard got the Rangers job, Beale was appointed first-team coach. They won the Scottish Premiership last season.

Beale followed the Liverpool legend to Aston Villa in November 2021.

Gerrard, asked about compiling his coaching team at Rangers, told The Robbie Fowler Podcast: “It would take me 15 to 20 years to become as good as Michael Beale as an on-pitch coach, delivering sessions on a daily basis, so I let Mick be Mick because he’s the expert.”

Former Rangers winger Peter Lovenkrands, who had a spell managing their reserves, told BBC Scotland: “He’s so on the ball. He’s so good at what he does. The players love it. His preparation for each game is fantastic to watch, and Gerrard is very lucky to have him.”