Queens Park Rangers have appointed Steven Gerrard’s assistant at Aston Villa, Michael Beale, as their manager.
QPR identified Beale, who also worked alongside Gerrard at Rangers, as their No 1 target on a three-man shortlist, which included the MK Dons head coach, Liam Manning. Gerrard first worked in the Liverpool academy alongside Beale, who has also coached at São Paulo.
“I want us to be a front-foot and high-intensity team, in and out of possession,” Beale told QPR’s website. “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.”
Gerrard had been realistic about the possibility of Beale being poached since taking him to Villa. The Charlton owner, Thomas Sandgaard, previously held talks with Beale about their vacancy.
Last month, Gerrard said: “It’s no surprise that he’s linked with another club – I think that’s been the case since I’ve known Mick. He’s very highly thought of in the world of football, so I’m not surprised. He’s a top coach and I really enjoy working with him. I always have done and I’m very keen for him to share this journey as well.”
Mark Warburton left QPR at the end of the season after his contract was not renewed. His team had finished 11th in the Championship after winning two of their final seven matches.
Meanwhile, Villa have announced the arrival of the Brazilian centre-back Diego Carlos, after a £26m fee was agreed with Sevilla last week. “I am really happy because the Premier League is one of the best competitions,” he told the club website. “I always want to do the best for the club and the shirt I’m wearing”.
Villa have already signed midfielder Boubacar Kamara and sealed a permanent move for Philippe Coutinho this summer, and plan to strengthen further. However, they are not pursuing moves for James Tarkowski or Kalidou Koulibaly.
