Harvey Vale’s Ireland call-up may seem out of the blue, but it’s years in the making

Harvey Vale enters the press conference room at FAI headquarters in Abbotstown, fresh-faced and sporting a spotless lime green official Ireland quarter-zip. On the eve of Ireland’s penultimate step in the quest for World Cup qualification, Vale suddenly finds himself in with a shout of playing a part.

The inclusion of the former England under-19 captain was one of the main talking points from Heimir Hallgrímsson’s squad announcement for this camp.

It’s not the first time the Ireland manager has played the ancestry card – Hallgrímsson named New York City FC’s Kevin O’Toole in his squad for the games against Portugal and Hungary last November.

But Vale’s inclusion ahead of Thursday’s match against Czech Republic stirs the pot more. Having come through the academy system as a highly-regarded talent at Fulham and Chelsea, the versatile midfielder was eventually signed on a professional contract by the latter in 2020.

He made five cup appearances for Chelsea – two in the FA Cup and three in the EFL Cup – before going on loan to Hull City.

Vale was handed the under-19 England captaincy for the 2022 European Championships in Slovakia. He skippered the side to silverware in that tournament, with England beating Israel in the final. Vale was subsequently included in the Team of the Tournament.

He also played for England at the under-20 World Cup in 2023.

At club level, after a spell on loan with Bristol Rovers, he briefly returned to Chelsea before signing for QPR in February 2025. Though his Irish call-up appeared somewhat out of the blue, the 22-year-old says it has been a work in progress for quite some time – having started work on his Irish citizenship during the Covid pandemic.

Vale says he first spoke with Hallgrímsson shortly after joining QPR.

“It was probably 18 months or a year ago, I met him at the stadium when I joined, a few weeks into that,” recalls Vale. “I was injured [at the time] and missed the rest of the season, so the first conversation we had was that when I was back fit and playing, he would be watching.

“And he has thought I played well this season and deserved this [call-up], so it has been going on a while. It hasn’t just been a flick of the switch – it has been going on in the background.”

Vale’s grandad, Michael Healy, is originally from Kerry and the possibility of pulling on the green jersey was always a family kitchen-table conversation. But when the call did come, Vale had to make sure his paperwork was in order.

“Yeah, it was touch and go [to make this window]. I was calling family, parents, scrambling around for documents, birth certificates, everything.

[ Ireland’s record without Josh Cullen shows how key the midfielder isOpens in new window ]

“Luckily, when I did my citizenship a few years ago, we kept a folder of all the documents and we just sent it off to the FA and Fifa and it got done in the end. Everyone worked really hard for it.

“I am so proud. Obviously, I heard this time last week and I was so happy, calling my family up straight away. My grandad is from Ireland, grew up in Kerry and it is a super-proud moment for everyone. I am buzzing to be here.

“I’m still really close with my grandad. I called him straight away, as soon as I found out this could be happening. And when it did happen, it was such a proud moment for him and for my family and for my parents.”

But in terms of switching from England to Ireland, why now?

“It wasn’t about being good enough or anything like that, I was in the [England] set-up and there was a year during Covid when international football fully stopped.

“And then when I joined QPR, I was in the Championship, I got back fit and then the conversations started happening. I’ve obviously been in good form and I just thought it was the right time.

“I’m super connected to Ireland and I feel like it’s a privilege to play for them. It’s definitely been on my mind for a good few years now.”

His grandfather also lived in Australia for many years before returning to London, with Vale recalling family trips Down Under to visit his grandparents.

“My nan fell ill and they came back to London to be with the family,” he says. “I was over to Australia to visit him and we always talked about coming over to Ireland together as well.”

Vale watched Troy Parrott’s heroics unfold on TV last November and feels he can add to Ireland’s World Cup push – starting with Thursday’s World Cup qualifier semi-final against Czech Republic in Prague.

“I think it is that sort of attacking quality, especially since I have been in good form recently, have got a few goals and assists in the last few games,” says Vale when asked what strengths he can bring to the Ireland set-up.

“I will also work 100 per cent, but it’s that little bit of quality, whether it’s a shot or a pass when we need it.

“I think the group sees me as that right-wing number 10, so just behind the striker role. That’s the role where I’ve played the most this season, so I probably feel most comfortable there.

“But I have played a lot of positions and I’m obviously willing to play anywhere. I’m a football player, I want to play games and I have that belief and confidence in myself where I believe I can help the country get to where it wants to be.”

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