QPR have appointed Michael Beale as the club’s new head coach on a three-year contract.
Beale moves to Loftus Road from Premier League side Aston Villa, where he served as assistant manager to Steven Gerrard.
The 41-year-old arrives in W12 with a hugely-impressive coaching pedigree which spans 20 years.
After his own playing career was cut short at just 21, Beale has since worked his way into key positions in the academies of both Chelsea and Liverpool, forming a relationship with Gerrard at the latter which would result in the duo working together at both Glasgow Rangers and Aston Villa.
A highly-respected coach who has had a hand in developing the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mason Mount and Declan Rice, now it’s Beale’s turn to make his first foray into management – and he couldn’t be more excited.
“It’s fantastic to be here,” Beale told qpr.co.uk. “I’ve been looking for the right opportunity and I think I have that now – the right club, the right people, the right ambition and the right support.
“I’m a London boy and know everything this club stands for. This is a wonderful opportunity for me and a really good time for the club as well.
“I’ve been left a solid platform by Mark Warburton, which I’m obviously pleased about, and that enables me to kick on from hereon in.
“I want us to be a front foot and high-intensity team, in and out of possession. I want Loftus Road to be a real cauldron for us – I’ve been to games here and I know just how much the fans can impact the team on the pitch.
“We’ve got a young, hungry team and everyone has their best days in front of them. I’m absolutely excited about working with the players that we already have here.
“The players played in an attractive style last season and now I’m looking to add my stamp to that, so that we can kick on even further.”
Speaking in detail about the appointment process, QPR chairman Amit Bhatia said: “This has perhaps been the most comprehensive search that we’ve conducted during my time at the club.
“A lot of work went into the process – there were interviews with a number of impressive candidates. We wanted to give the process the consideration it deserves.
“That’s what we’ve done and we’re thrilled with the outcome in appointing Michael. He was the unanimous first choice of the board, taking into consideration a number of different metrics, and we’re thrilled to have landed our man.
“His pedigree is clear and all of the feedback we received on Michael was incredibly encouraging. We’re all really excited about the period ahead of us now.”
CEO Lee Hoos added: “This was a meticulous process that has yielded a very positive outcome – we’re really excited to have Michael on board.
“A lot of credit must go to our recruitment department who did a fantastic job in amassing a lot of data so that we could identify candidates who could really take this club forward.
“There were a number of different considerations – how individuals work with younger age groups, how they set up and how they play – playing style was a big factor for us.
“The DNA of the club is now firmly in place, which we’re grateful to Mark Warburton for helping to establish. Now it’s about building on that and Michael fits in very well in that respect.
“There is a lot to look forward to.”
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