The Light Blues bid farewell to Allan McGregor, Alfredo Morelos, Scott Arfield, Ryan Kent and Filip Helander, each of whom have played a significant role in the club’s journey in recent years.
Speaking to RangersTV after the match, Beale reflected on a poignant evening at Ibrox: “It was nice for the boys to get the send off that they deserved. The fans were absolutely outstanding, and I’m super proud of them for the way they showed their respect to the players. It will live with those five players for a long time, and they realise that this club is not a normal club.
“It’s quite an emotional dressing room. You make these decisions and then in these moments it becomes very real for them and their families. They’ve all been outstanding, and they’ve been fantastic to work with. They’ve been a huge credit to themselves and the football club, and we wish them well. They’ll always be welcome back at Ibrox and you can see that from the reception they got this evening.”
The Ibrox crowd serenaded both McGregor and Morelos as both were restored to the starting lineup, while Arfield’s introduction in the second half was greeted with a raucous reception from all four stands.
The squad formed a guard of honour after full-time to honour the departing players, with Kent and Helander taking the opportunity to bid farewell to the Rangers home support for the final time.
On the support inside Ibrox, Beale continued: “They are ferocious in their support and they really look after us wherever we go, whether it’s home or away. They make sure that they’re heard and behind the team, and it’s important that we showed appreciation for the support they’ve given us this season. It’s not been the easiest of seasons, we’ll go away and come back stronger, and if they get behind us like they have done again we’ll make sure we push on further to where they want us to be.
“We should win that game tonight; we got a little bit loose at the end with a throw-in and tossing the ball away in the middle of the pitch, and you can’t do that. We’ll pick the pieces of that tomorrow. We’ve had 19 league games unbeaten at Ibrox, that’s a good feat for our club. It’s important that we back that up with a stronger away form and we’ll be where we want to be.”