Michael Beale lands top job at QPR

QPR have announced the appointment of Michael Beale as their new head coach on a three-year deal.

Beale, who replaces Mark Warburton, has made the move to west London from Aston Villa where he served as Steven Gerrard’s assistant.

“It’s fantastic to be here,” Beale told www.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.”

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.”