It has been anything but a straightforward start for Harvey Vale at QPR.
After signing from Chelsea in the January window, the midfielder was ready to make his mark. But a problem detected in his medical meant he ended up missing the whole of the second half of last season.
“When they first told me, I was gutted,” Vale tells Sky Sports. “I felt I was taking that step out of the academy scene and finally into the men’s game, finding a home, and then you get hit instantly with a setback.
“It was challenging mentally, but the staff and the boys were really good. They helped me get through it and I knew the focus was always to have a full pre-season this season. When there’s a goal, it’s a lot easier to work towards something.
“Thankfully the club went on with the deal and kept faith in me. I put my head down, worked through it and now I’m fit and ready to go.”
The hard work has started to pay off, and Vale is starting to reap the benefits. His first two league starts have resulted in QPR’s first league wins.
His performances look more impressive when taken into account 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,” he says. “But now I feel like I’m starting to become more myself and play the way I want.
“As soon as you get that first one and you do well, you get a win, your emotions calm down a bit and it’s more focused on what’s next. That first game definitely helped me settle down and settle in.”
His only senior appearance last season came in the Europa Conference League for Chelsea, appearing as a second-half substitute in their 5-1 win over Shamrock Rovers in December.
Vale was at Chelsea from the age of 13 and made seven senior appearances for the club
It was the last of his seven appearances for the club where he had been since he was 13. And he knows he owes much of his footballing education to Chelsea’s famed academy, where he grew up surrounded by some players who have gone on to be stars of the Premier League and in Europe.
“There were boys above and below me who’ve gone on to do really well,” Vale says. “Above me there was Jamal Musiala, Levi Colwill, Tino Livramento. Below me, Lewis Hall and others.
“They produce some of the best footballers in the world. When you train with them every day, you get better.
“I’m definitely grateful. The football and education I had at Chelsea was one of the best in the world. Like everyone, there have been ups and downs.
“I played in the first team, then I was back in the 21s. I went on loan, played loads of games, then came back and didn’t play. Now I’m here. There will always be ups and downs, but I’m grateful.
“Everyone’s journey is different. Some might be quicker than others, but it gives you belief in your own ability that you can go on to do bigger and better things.”
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Highlights from the Sky Bet Championship game between Queens Park Rangers and Charlton Athletic.
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Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship game between Wrexham and QPR.
Now 22, Vale is determined to make the most of his fresh start at QPR.
“I spent a long time off the pitch, so to be back in the league where the points matter and everything is on the line is good,” he says. “It’s enjoyable and it’s what I want to be doing.
“The last two or three weeks especially, I’ve got sharper in training, fitter, and just getting back used to it after a long time out.”
Vale and QPR will be hoping this is just the start of what’s to come.
