How is Mick Beale faring after leaving Sunderland AFC? | OneFootball

Football League World takes a look at what former Sunderland boss Mick Beale is currently up to

Sunderland sacked former head coach Mick Beale last February, after he had overseen just 12 Black Cats games, of which he lost six, including a 3-0 defeat in the FA Cup against bitter rivals Newcastle United.

Beale's short-lived and highly underwhelming spell in the dugout at the Stadium of Light played its part in a difficult season for the Black Cats, who finished just 16th in the Championship table last term.

His poor record on Wearside will have come as a particular disappointment, given the fact that his former club, Rangers, won 31 of the 43 games he took charge of during his previous spell with the Scottish Premiership outfit.

This time around, under the stewardship of Regis Le Bris, who arrived at the club last summer, the North East side are vying to make a Premier League return for the first time since suffering relegation from the top-flight back in 2017.

Meanwhile, almost 12 months on from Beale's Sunderland exit, Football League World takes a look at what the former Black Cats boss is currently up to.

Beale is currently working alongside Steven Gerrard in Saudi Arabia

Back in November, the 44-year-old was appointed as Steven Gerrard's assistant manager at Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq, having previously worked alongside the Liverpudlian at both Rangers and Aston Villa.

As well as members of the Saudi national team, such as Abdulaziz Al Aliwa, Beale and Gerrard coach some high-profile international stars, including ex-Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.

Also among Al-Ettifaq's ranks are former Everton star Demarai Gray, ex-Celtic hotshot Moussa Dembele, and Scotland international defender Jack Hendry, who previously played in the EFL for Wigan Athletic, Shrewsbury Town and MK Dons.

Gerrard's men are not enduring a successful season in the Saudi Pro League, and sit much closer to the relegation zone than the AFC Champions League qualification places.

Meanwhile, the side from Dammam have won just two of their six games since Beale was appointed as Gerrard's assistant, as a 2-1 victory over Al Khaleej, and a 3-0 triumph at Damac FC arrived on 7th December and 15th January respectively.

The first game which Beale oversaw as Al-Ettifaq's assistant finished in a 0-0 draw with Al Riyadh, while the former Black Cats boss endured a 4-0 defeat against high-flyers Al Ittihad, just one week before the aforementioned win over Al Khaleej.

Beale attended the 2025 Bahrain Darts Masters

Outside of footballing matters, the 44-year-old is clearly enjoying life in the Middle East, and recently attended the 2025 Bahrain Darts Masters event.

Beale posted on Instagram: "Great night at the darts" while he could be seen taking in Luke Littler's first round encounter with Filipino player Lourence Ilagan.

Stephen Bunting went on to win the Masters final, with an 8-4 triumph over Gerwyn Price, who defeated reigning world champion Littler in the quarter-finals.

Beale will now turn his attention back to football though, while Al-Ettifaq have 18 games left to play in their current Pro League campaign, and sit just five points above the relegation zone.

Saturday's clash with current bottom-three outfit Al-Wehda could prove vital, as Gerrard and Beale look to stave off the threat of relegation to the second tier.