Ex-Arsenal coach Bould joins QPR

Steve Bould was Arsene Wenger's assistant manager for six years at Arsenal

Former Arsenal player and coach Steve Bould has joined new QPR boss Julien Stephan's backroom team.

Bould, who worked under Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery during a seven-year spell at Arsenal, will take on a dual role of first-team coach and head of defensive coaching across all levels with the Hoops.

Ex-Rennes boss Stephan was named QPR's new head coach earlier on Wednesday, with Marti Cifuentes' departure announced on Tuesday evening.

"I'm delighted," Bould told the club website.

"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.

"Loftus Road is a great ground and the club has a real loyal following.

"I've looked around today and I can see that there's a real buzz about the place. The training ground is fantastic, the whole set-up is."

'It's a big brief and I'm looking forward to it'

Bould spent 11 years playing in Arsenal's defence alongside former England captain Tony Adams

Bould represented Stoke City, Sunderland and the Gunners during a 20-year playing career in which he earned two England caps.

The 62-year-old former centre-back won three league titles and two FA Cups with Arsenal, including the double in 1997-98.

He also won the League Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup during his 11 years as a player at Highbury.

In total, he played 375 times for the Gunners, scoring eight goals, as well as making 211 appearances for Stoke, with six goals.

Arsenal won a further three FA Cups during Bould's tenure as assistant manager under Wenger, before reaching the 2019 Europa League final. He also coached in the club's academy and the Under-23s.

He was most recently head coach at Lommel in Belgium from 2022 to January this year.

"Firstly, the first team defensively to become better [is the primary target]. If the individuals within that squad can get better defensively, that's the number one priority," he said.

"Secondly, I want the younger players further down the line to become great players or great defenders.

"That's the brief. It's a big brief and I'm looking forward to it immensely."