Written by
Ian Westbrook
June 25, 2025
Former Arsenal defender Steve Bould has joined the new coaching set-up at QPR as Head of Defensive Coaching and First Team Coach.
The role will involve Bould in coaching throughout the club from the First Team through to the younger Academy age groups and is focused on the long-term development of players.
Bould’s appointment came on the same day as Rangers named Julian Stephan as their new Head Coach.
Stephan, 44, has replaced Marti Cifuentes, who was put on gardening leave in April and officially left QPR on Tuesday night.
Stephan had two spells in charge of his hometown club Rennes – who won the French Cup under him in 2019, their first trophy for 48 years – but left last November after a run of poor results.
Bould’s previous coaching experience includes two-and-a-half years in charge of Belgian side Lommel SK as well as being First Team Assistant Manager to Arsene Wenger and Under-23s coach at Arsenal.
“I’m delighted. I think it’s a great opportunity because number one, and I don’t say this lightly, QPR is a great football club and always has been,” he said.
During his career with the Gunners, Bould won three top flight titles, the FA Cup and the Cup Winners’ Cup, but he says this will count for nothing among the players he will be coaching.
“The only respect you get is if you can give the players something that they take with them,” he added. “They don’t give you any respect for your career. Most of them don’t know it anyway!”
“Football now is very, very tactical – and it’s great. Throughout the coaching system we have all had to up our game but I think one thing that has been forgotten is the actual technique of defending individually.”
QPR Chief Executive Officer Christian Nourry said: “We believe that this appointment will have a positive effect on our first-team performances this season, and – in the medium-to-long term – enable us to develop talent into some of the most exciting defensive prospects in the country.”
Nourry will be speaking at our TGG Live Conference on October 7th.
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