QPR star who 'dazzled' Leicester City swaps international allegiance ahead of World Cup
Harvey Vale was the linchpin as QPR came back from 1-0 down to beat Leicester City on Saturday.
QPR midfielder Harvey Vale has his sights set on the World Cup this summer having now switched his international allegiance from England to the Republic of Ireland.
The 22-year-old arrived at Loftus Road from Chelsea last summer and has made 23 appearances in the Championship this season. Vale picked up a goal and an assist in the 3-1 win over Leicester City on Saturday, just days after switching his allegiance.
Vale had represented England at youth level from Under-15 to Under-20 level. The star is a product of the Chelsea youth academy but only ever made seven appearances for the Blues first team.
The Republic of Ireland are in with a chance of competing in the United States this summer, having booked a semi-final play-off place. Heimir Hallgrimsson's side will face Czechia on March 26.
QPR star Harvey Vale sets sights on World Cup place
A victory would pit the Republic of Ireland against either Denmark or North Macedonia in a play-off final on March 31, with a place at the World Cup at stake. Vale could offer Hallgrimsson’s side versatility with the ex Chelsea man capable of playing across midfield and even at full-back.
Vale was well respected in the England youth set-up, captaining the under-19 side to Euros success - that team featured the likes of Liam Delap and Jarrell Quansah. The midfielder had been sent on loan spells to Hull City and Bristol Rovers during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Former Bristol Rovers boss Joey Barton had lavished praise on Vale. Speaking during the 2024/25 campaign, Barton said: “The two games he’s played in there from the start I think he’s looked like a young Ashley Cole, he looks like he’s played there forever.
“He’s a footballer who is high on football IQ, he’s got a great passing range, he can run, decent in the air. The most pleasing thing for me if I’m honest is his attitude."
Vale’s third goal of the campaign for QPR came against Leicester City at the weekend, the midfielder equalising after Jordan James had put the hosts ahead. Vale broke through the Foxes defence to poke the ball over shot-stopper Jakub Stolarczyk before slotting into an open net - he went on to spearhead the QPR comeback in a dazzling showing.
Speaking after the match, R’s head coach Julien Setphan said: “I think the players deserve this win. We’ve had a lot of disappointment but we stayed very positive with the players.
“We wanted to continue to push them to take some risks and play some good football – and they did that perfectly today. We found the solution and found the strong character to win this important game for us. It’s nice to see the players take responsibility with a strong mentality and with a perfect mindset today.
“It’s always important mentally to break a bad run. The only way to break that was to play good football – not to stay low on the pitch and only defend and hope at set-pieces. No. Play some football, take some risks.”
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