Michael Beale admits he'd love to see Rangers and Celtic in the English Premier League - but concedes it'll likely remain only a hypothetical scenario.

The Ibrox boss - who worked as Steven Gerrard's No2 at Aston Villa - is in no doubt that in terms of fan base and expectation both Glasgow clubs dwarf any Championship sides.

And he went on to suggest Rangers and Celtic are far more easily compared to top ten Premier League teams - even if a huge financial gulf remains.

While avoiding offering a prediction on where the clubs would finish in the Premier League, Beale did state it would be "very interesting" to see Rangers and Celtic compete in England given two or three years of the mega-money TV backing.

Speaking on BBC Sportsound, Beale explained: "What I would say is that you can't see the size of a club down to the finance they are given by TV companies. The size of a club is the fan base and the potential of the club to grow.

"Here in Scotland, our finances that we get is much smaller however I think we have two super-clubs in the size of their fan bases and the expectation is absolutely huge.

"That's comparable to very few in the Premier League and certainly it's comparable to the teams in the top ten.

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"I think the Championship is a very competitive league having worked in it because it's very, very equal but there are no teams in the Championship that compare to the size and statue of Rangers and Celtic that's for sure.

"In the top division, I would say anyone in the top ten. I think they have had ten or 15 years most of those clubs in the top ten of Premier League money. 

"If you were to give two or three years of that money to Rangers and Celtic I think it would be very interesting.

"I would love to see a day that it happens but I think if it was going to happen it would have happened by now."

While Beale talked up a scenario where Rangers and Celtic were competing in England's top-flight, the Ibrox boss insisted Scottish football is in a good place.

He added: "What I think is the managers in Scotland, everyone does a fantastic job, no one gets to spend vast sums. We look at the sums that are spent in the Premier League and the big five leagues in the world.

"I think we have managers here that have to have a real clean eye for a vision and I think we have good managers. I think the league is in a good place. 

"Having more teams in Europe every season groups stage football will also kick on the level a lot.

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"It's a league that there is a bit of intrigue about because players are coming from further shores to come and play here - whether that's European or Asian and we had players playing in the World Cup and doing well.

"We have also had exports from the league go out to Serie A and the Premier League and do very well. I think this league at the moment is in a good place.

"The gap between the teams...well, Celtic have been relentless this season in terms of their results and hats off to them for where they are. In the last sort of two or three months we have as well and so have Hearts up until Wednesday.

"I suppose there is three teams in the league at the moment that consistently are able to win the majority of their games."