EXCLUSIVE Harvey Vale interview: QPR midfielder on returning to fitness and his Chelsea upbringing
EXCLUSIVE
Harvey Vale interview: QPR midfielder on returning to fitness and his Chelsea upbringing.
Harvey Vale talks to Sky Sports on his desire to succeed for QPR after returning to fitness and his background at Chelsea.
Watch QPR vs Stoke City live on Sky Sports+ and the Sky Sports app on Saturday from 12.30pm. Harvey Vale’s start at QPR has been anything from straightforward.
After joining from Chelsea in the January transfer window, the midfielder was eager to make an impact. However, a physical condition kept him from playing the entire second half of last season. “When they first told me, I was gutted,” Vale told Sky Sports.
“I felt like I was transitioning from the academy scene to the men’s game, finding my spot, and then you get hit with a setback.
“It was mentally challenging, but the staff and boys were great. They got me through it, and I knew the goal was to have a full preseason this year. When there is a goal, it is much easier to work towards it.” Fortunately, the club proceeded with the transaction and kept faith in me. I put my head down and worked through it; now I’m fit and ready to go.” Vale is beginning to reap the benefits of his hard work. His first two league starts led to QPR’s first league triumphs. His performance is even more impressive considering it was his first league start since April 2024.
“It was two transitions at once, being out of football for a while and then moving from academy to men’s,” the player recalls.
“But now I feel like I’m starting to be more like myself and play the way I want.” As soon as you obtain that first one and do well, you have a victory, your emotions calm down, and you can concentrate on what follows. That first game truly helped me relax and unwind.
He made his first senior appearance for Chelsea in the Europa Conference League last season, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 5-1 win over Shamrock Rovers in December.
It was the final of his seven outings for the club he had been with since he was 13.
And he is well aware that he owes much of his football education to Chelsea’s renowned academy, where he grew up among players who have gone on to become Premier League and European heroes. “There were boys above and below me who’ve gone on to do really well,” Vale tells me.
“Above me there were Jamal Musiala, Levi Colwill, and Tino Livramento. Lewis Hall and others are below me. “They produce some of the world’s top footballers. When you workout with them every day, you improve.
“I am absolutely grateful. The football and education I received at Chelsea were among the best in the world. Everyone has had their ups and downs.
“I played for the first team before returning to the 21s. I went on loan, played a lot of games, then returned and didn’t play. Now I am here. There will always be ups and downs, but I remain appreciative.
“Everyone’s journey is different. Some may be faster than others, but it instills confidence in your own capacity to achieve greater success.”
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