Which Chelsea player alongside Mason Mount that QPR’s Harvey Vale built bond with - it might surprise you | OneFootball

The 21-year-old received plenty of advice from this unlikely teammate whilst at Stamford Bridge

Harvey Vale is yet to play a game for QPR, and he's one player who Hoops fans are certainly looking forward to seeing next season.

The 21-year-old arrived with plenty of promise from Chelsea, but was ruled out immediately due to a bone stress injury to his lower back. Despite this, QPR went ahead with the deal, knowing that Vale, who played a small part in Chelsea's UEFA Conference League-winning campaign, would be worth the wait once his injuries were cleared.

The R's have released a short catch-up with Vale, detailing how he has settled in at Loftus Road so far, his International youth career and what he has taken from his time at Chelsea, as well as loan spells at Hull City and Bristol Rovers, into his first permanent move away from Stamford Bridge in his career.

Unsurprisingly, Vale named Mason Mount as someone he would learn from at Chelsea, with the current Manchester United midfielder someone who came up through the academy into the first team at his former club, but he also named German forward Kai Havertz as someone else he learned from whilst at the Blues.

Harvey Vale and Kai Havertz shared a bond whilst at Chelsea

Harvey Vale signed his first professional contract in September 2020, and the then-17-year-old was eager to learn from his fellow professionals in the Chelsea squad.

Speaking to QPR's media team, Vale singled out a couple of individuals who he learned from the most whilst he was coming up through the Chelsea side.

"I'd say at the time there were a few players I'd really go to and ask questions," he said. "People like Mason Mount, my position, young lad from Chelsea. We got on well.

"As well as Kai Havertz," he added. "I got a bit of a bond with him, and they were very open to take us under their wings."

Vale can play anywhere across the midfield, as well as at left-back, but he has a clear knack for attacking and getting involved in the creative side of play, so it makes sense that the current QPR man would look to take advice from the fellow forwards in the senior squad.

However, whilst a fellow Englishman who has experienced the youth system at Chelsea, such as Mount, would make sense as a mentor for Vale, not many people would have expected Kai Havertz, who himself had just joined Chelsea in 2020, as someone who took the exciting youngster under his wing.

QPR will be hoping Harvey Vale can emulate Kai Havertz whilst at Loftus Road

Learning from someone who has over 50 German caps, over 40 Premier League goals, and a winner in a Champions League final can't be a bad thing, and QPR will be hoping that Harvey Vale can bring some of what he learned from Kai Havertz to Loftus Road once he's fit to play.

The 21-year-old hasn't played as much as he would have liked this past season due to injury and a lack of opportunity at Chelsea, but he proved his versatility at such a young age whilst on loan at Bristol Rovers in the 2023/24 League One campaign.

A groin injury kept Vale from having a real crack at the Championship whilst on loan at Hull City in the 2022/23 season. Both he and QPR fans will be hoping that the upcoming season is the one where he truly makes a name for himself in the second tier.