Neil Critchley confirmed as new QPR manager on three-and-a-half-year contract | Football News

QPR have announced the appointment of Neil Critchley as the club’s new head coach.

Sky Sports News reported last month that Critchley was high on the list of candidates to replace Michael Beale, who left for Rangers earlier in December.

He has signed a three-and-a-half year with the west London club, who sit ninth in the Championship.

Critchley worked with Beale as an academy coach at Liverpool and replaced him as Steven Gerrard’s assistant manager at Aston Villa after Beale took charge at QPR during the summer.

Critchley left Villa when Gerrard was sacked as manager in October while Beale was in charge of QPR for just 21 league games before he headed to Ibrox.

Critchley led Blackpool to promotion from League One and a 16th-place finish in the Championship during his two years at the club.

He will be joined at his new club by Mike Garrity, who has left his job as Lincoln City assistant boss, and Ian Brunskill, who was Critchley’s assistant at Blackpool.

“There have been some good foundations laid here and now it is my job to work as hard as I can to build on that,” Critchley told QPR’s website.

“We want to move the club forward and ensure we are competing at the top end of the Championship table.”

More to follow…