A player who played at the JMG Academy in Lierse was loaned by the Queen’s Park Rangers to Stevenage. Over there, it started to explode.
Paul Hall, the Queens Park Rangers’ under-23 boss, is delighted with Chair Ilias‘ progress in his loan club.
The youngest of the Rangers joined Stevenage at the end of January and has since scored six goals in 15 games.
And about the last episode of the Stevenage season, Hall admitted that he was eager to see Chair return to West London.
“Ilias is very good and I’m not surprised at all by what he does,” said Hall, who recently helped the first team. He could do what he does (for Stevenage) at any level: “He’s an international footballer, he has a great technique, he understands the spaces and he knows when to get into the box. In the second league, he produces decisive goals and assists and I’m sure Stevenage will want to keep him longer, but I’m not sure I’d want to give him back the device.”
He said, “I really like watching Ilias play. That’s what a coach said about him once, and it was great to hear.”
“The last time I saw ilias, instead of telling him to go and express himself, I said that I really liked being able to play with him and that it was almost like speaking another language because this kind of thing doesn’t happen often but he knew what I meant.”
Hall hopes that Chair can join Ebere Eze to have an impact on the first team: “If you can get Ebere and Ilias into the same team and they are “on the move”, then you have a scary situation for the opposition,” he said.
“But we have to be patient with these guys. They’re still very young, you need to know what you need to do to make these players thrive.”
Dino Maamria, Stevenage’s boss, said that Ilias Chair is “the best player who has ever worn a Stevenage Football Club jersey”, as the 21-year-old’s loan period comes to an end.
Speaking to CometSport’s Dan Mountney before the last game of the Stevenage season against Cheltenham, Maamria praised the striker: “Ilias is the best player who has ever worn a Stevenage Football Club jersey. He’s probably the best player who played in League 2. Put it all aside, I see him every day and he’s a fantastic kid to work with. It’s a pleasure to have him. If it’s his last game, but he won’t be, you have to enjoy it. Our fans loved having him, our players loved having him and I’m sure he’ll be a regular at the Championship next season.”
Mr. Maamria believes that Chair determination is what makes him such a special talent, he adds: “He was beaten up in Mansfield last weekend. He was not protected by the referee, but he was so brave. He kept moving forward, getting on the ball, never turning away from it and that’s what makes the difference between a top player and an average player. He made things happen to score that goal. Not many players can do that, but he can.”
