Former QPR sporting director Les Ferdinand has admitted the atmosphere turned toxic after Michael Beale's exit for Rangers.

The ex-Ibrox manager was headhunted from QPR after a short stint as manager at the London club.

Ferdinand and QPR chiefs were determined to keep hold of Beale after making an impact behind the scenes and on the pitch at the club.

However, after an approach from Rangers, Beale was keen to return to Glasgow to take the top job at Ibrox.

And Ferdinand has now revealed that Beale's exit led to a "toxic" atmosphere at the club.

On The Overlap, Ferdinand said: “He had the players eating out of the palm of his hand, and when he left there was a disappointment around the place - we were onto something. And so it got a bit toxic in the end.

"Like I said Michael Beale came from nowhere, no one was talking about him. People were talking, but he’d never been a number one.

“We looked at him, we looked at the criteria and we thought that’s fits what we were looking for. He came through the door and he was fantastic.

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"Even now people say to me, I know he’s had a couple of dodgy spells at Rangers and then Sunderland, but if someone was to ask me today I always said he will be a top manager somewhere.

"He’s failed in his last two quests but I think he jumped too far from QPR."

However, Ferdinand was not shocked at Beale's desire to head back to Glasgow as he had forewarned chiefs that would be the club capable of luring him away from QPR.

He said: “I always said to the owners if we’re going to lose Michael Beale, in a year or two, I think it might be to Rangers.

"That’s the only club, unbeknown they were going to come as soon as they did. Him thinking this may never come around again."