Ilias Chair
{{Short description|Moroccan footballer (born 1997)}}
{{Lead too short|date=February 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Ilias Chair
| image = Iliaschairqpr2018v020 (cropped).jpeg
| caption = Chair with Queens Park Rangers in 2018
| fullname = Ilias Emilian Chair {{Cite news |url=https://www.efl.com/siteassets/image/201819/retained-list/efl-professional-retain-list--free-transfers---2017-18.pdf |title=Club list of registered players |access-date=20 April 2019 |publisher=English Football League}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|10|30|df=y}}{{cite web |url=https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce44/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf |title=FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: List of players: Morocco |publisher=FIFA |page=19 |date=15 November 2022 |access-date=10 December 2022}}
| birth_place = Antwerp, Belgium
| position = Attacking Midfielder
| currentclub = Queens Park Rangers
| clubnumber = 10
| youthyears1 = 2007–2009
| youthclubs1 = Club Brugge
| youthyears2 = 2009–2014
| youthclubs2 = JMG Academy Belgium
| youthyears3 = 2014–2015
| youthclubs3 = Lierse
| years1 = 2015–2017
| clubs1 = Lierse
| caps1 = 2
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2017–
| clubs2 = Queens Park Rangers
| caps2 = 264
| goals2 = 34
| years3 = 2018–2019
| clubs3 = → Stevenage (loan)
| caps3 = 16
| goals3 = 6
| nationalyears1 = 2017
| nationalteam1 = Morocco U20
| nationalcaps1 = 5
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2018
| nationalteam2 = Morocco U23
| nationalcaps2 = 1
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2021–
| nationalteam3 = Morocco
| nationalcaps3 = 12
| nationalgoals3 = 1
| club-update = 8 December 2024 (UTC)
| nationalteam-update = 23:30, 17 December 2022 (UTC)
}}
Ilias Emilian Chair ({{langx|ar|إلياس إميليان الشاعر}}; born 30 October 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for {{English football updater|QueensPR}} club Queens Park Rangers and the Morocco national team.
Early life
Ilias Chair was born in Antwerp in Belgium to a Moroccan father and Polish mother.{{Cite web |url=https://www.qpr.co.uk/news/under-23s-news/chair-set-for-morocco-youth-camp/ |title=Ilias Chair set for Morocco Under-20 training camp |date=24 May 2017 |publisher=Queens Park Rangers F.C. |access-date=20 April 2019}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=106669 |title=Ilias Chair - Queen's Park Rangers - Soccer Base |website=www.soccerbase.com |access-date=27 March 2020}}
Club career
=Early career=
Chair began his career in the youth system at Lierse.{{Cite web |url=https://www.qpr.co.uk/news/under-23s-news/under-23s-add-belgian-attacker-to-ranks/ |title=Under-23s add Belgian attacker to ranks |date=31 January 2017 |publisher=Queens Park Rangers F.C. |access-date=20 April 2019}} He also spent time at the academy of Club Brugge, as well as the JMG Academy Belgium.{{Cite web |url=https://www.jmgfootball.com/en/joueurs/chair-ilias/ |title=JMG Football – Ilias Chair |publisher=JMG Academy |access-date=20 April 2019}} Chair made his professional debut for Lierse at the age of 17, playing in the Belgian Second Division, when he came as a 76th-minute substitute in Lierse's 1–1 away draw at Coxyde on 9 August 2015.{{soccerway|413607|accessdate = 20 April 2019}}{{Cite web |url=https://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2015/08/09/belgium/second-division/kvv-coxyde/koninklijke-lierse-sportkring/2062073/ |title=Coxyde 1–1 Lierse |date=9 August 2015 |publisher=Soccerway |access-date=20 April 2019}} He subsequently started his first match a month later, on 9 September 2015, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–2 home defeat to Cercle Brugge.{{Cite web |url=https://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2015/09/09/belgium/second-division/koninklijke-lierse-sportkring/cercle-brugge-ksv/2062080/ |title=Lierse 2–3 Cercle Brugge |date=9 August 2015 |publisher=Soccerway |access-date=20 April 2019}}
=Queens Park Rangers=
Chair went on trial at Championship club QPR in January 2017. During the trial period, he scored in a 3–1 friendly win for the U23s against Bournemouth. He subsequently signed for QPR on a permanent basis on 31 January 2017. Chair was added to the club's Elite Development Squad and spent the remainder of the 2016–17 season playing for the club's U23 team.
Having impressed QPR manager Ian Holloway in training,{{Cite web |url=https://www.qpr.co.uk/squads/first-team/ilias-chair/ |title=QPR Profile – Ilias Chair |publisher=Queens Park Rangers F.C. |access-date=27 March 2020}} Chair was named as a substitute in club's first round EFL Cup tie against Northampton Town at Loftus Road on 8 August 2017.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40785906 |title=QPR 1–0 Northampton Town |date=8 August 2017 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=20 April 2019}} He replaced Luke Freeman in the 63rd minute of the match to make his first-team debut. Chair made his first starting appearance for QPR in a 1–0 defeat against Preston North End at Deepdale on 2 December 2017.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42119757 |title=Preston North End 1–0 QPR |date=2 December 2017 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=20 April 2019}} He signed a two-year contract extension with the club on 9 February 2018, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2020.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43010068 |title=Ilias Chair: QPR midfielder signs new contract until 2020 |date=9 February 2018 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=20 April 2019}} He scored his first goal for the club during QPR's final home game of the 2017–18 campaign on 28 April 2018, scoring a volley at the far post as QPR overturned a one-goal deficit to win 3–1 against Birmingham City.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43846720 |title=QPR 3–1 Birmingham City |date=28 April 2019 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=22 March 2019}} Chair made seven first-team appearances during the season, scoring once.{{Soccerbase season|106669|2017|name=Ilias Chair|accessdate=20 April 2019}}
Having made eight appearances for QPR during the first half of the 2018–19 season,{{Soccerbase season|106669|2018|name=Ilias Chair|accessdate=20 April 2019}} Chair joined League Two club Stevenage on a loan deal for the remainder of the season on 31 January 2019.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47070273 |title=Stevenage sign Byrne on permanent deal and four players on loan |date=31 January 2019 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=20 April 2019}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.qpr.co.uk/news/club-news/ilias-chair-joins-stevenage-on-loan/ |title=Ilias Chair joins Stevenage on loan |date=31 January 2019 |access-date=20 April 2019 |publisher=Queens Park Rangers F.C.}} He made his Stevenage debut in the club's 1–0 victory over Yeovil Town at Broadhall Way on 2 February 2019, playing the full match.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47011385 |title=Stevenage 1–0 Yeovil Town |date=2 February 2019 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=22 March 2019}} Chair scored his first goals for Stevenage by scoring two long-range efforts late-on in a 2–2 away draw at league leaders Lincoln City on 16 February 2019.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47181042 |title=Lincoln City 2–2 Stevenage |date=16 February 2019 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=22 March 2019}} A month later, on 12 March 2019, he scored from within his own half in Stevenage's 2–0 home win against Swindon Town.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47450551 |title=Stevenage 2–0 Swindon Town |date=12 March 2019 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=22 March 2019}} Chair was nominated for League Two Player of the Month for March 2019 having contributed four goals and four assists during the month.{{Cite web |url=https://www.stevenagefc.com/news/2019/april/ilias-chair-bristol-street-motors-pfa-player-of-the-month-nominee-march-2019-stevenage-football-club-thurs-11th-april/ |title=Ilias Chair nominated for PFA Player of the Month |date=11 April 2019 |access-date=20 April 2019 |publisher=Stevenage F.C.}} He made 16 appearances during the loan agreement, scoring six times and assisting six goals.{{cite news
| title = Ilias Chair 'the best player that has ever worn a Stevenage Football Club shirt' according to boss Dino Maamria
| url = https://www.thecomet.net/stevenage-fc/ilias-chair-the-best-stevenage-player-ever-1-6032617
| work = The Comet
| date = 3 May 2019
| access-date = 25 November 2020
| archive-date = 9 December 2020
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201209000811/https://www.thecomet.net/stevenage-fc/ilias-chair-the-best-stevenage-player-ever-1-6032617
| url-status = dead
}} Stevenage manager Dino Maamria described Chair as "the best player that has ever worn the Stevenage shirt", as well as the best player to have ever played in League Two. Maamria went on to state he feels Chair had the potential to be a Premier League player, adding that it is "a shame" what has happened to him so far. {{Cite web |last=Whelan |first=Ryan |date=2024-12-03 |title=Exclusive: Dino Maamria Hails QPR Man as Best He Ever Coached |url=https://thedeck.news/dino-maamria-qpr-ilias-chair/ |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=thedeck.news |language=en-GB}}
Upon his return to QPR, he signed a new three-year contract with the club in September 2019.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49755243 |title=Ilias Chair: QPR midfielder signs new three-year contract |date=19 September 2019 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=6 December 2019}} Under new manager Mark Warburton, Chair became a key player for QPR at the start of the 2019–20 season.
On 29 January 2021, Chair signed a new four-and-a-half-year deal that would see him remain at the club until 2025, with the club having the option to extend this contract by another year.{{cite web|url=https://www.qpr.co.uk/news/club-news/ilias-chair-extends-qpr-stay-until-2025-290121/|title=Ilias Chair extends QPR stay until 2025|website=www.qpr.co.uk|date=29 January 2021}}
Chair started the 2021–22 season in good form and won the Championship Goal of the Month award for October 2021 after an impressive strike against Blackburn Rovers.{{cite web|url=https://www.qpr.co.uk/news/club-news/chair-scoops-goal-of-the-month-accolade-261121/|title=Chair scoops Goal of the Month accolade|website=www.qpr.co.uk|date=26 November 2021|accessdate=26 November 2021}}
International career
Chair was born in Belgium and is Moroccan by descent. He was called up to the Morocco U20 squad for a week-long training camp in Rabat in June 2017. Chair represented the Morocco U23s in a 1–0 friendly defeat to the Senegal U23s on 23 March 2018.{{Cite web |url=https://www.qpr.co.uk/news/club-news/chair-features-in-morocco-u23-defeat/ |title=Chair features in Morocco U23 defeat |date=23 March 2018 |access-date=20 April 2019 |publisher=Queens Park Rangers F.C.}}
He debuted with the senior Morocco national team in a friendly 1–0 win over Ghana on 9 June 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://globalsportsarchive.com/match/soccer/2021-06-08/morocco-vs-ghana/2375898/|title=Match Report of Morocco vs Ghana - 2021-06-08 - FIFA Friendlies - Global Sports Archive|website=globalsportsarchive.com}} On 6 October 2021, in his fourth appearance for his country, Chair scored his first Morocco goal with the third in a 5–0 win over Guinea-Bissau.{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/qualifiers/caf/match-center/400204267|title=Morocco 5–0 Guinea-Bissau|website=www.fifa.com|date=6 October 2021|accessdate=26 November 2021}}
On 10 November 2022, Chair was named in Morocco's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.{{Cite web |title=Morocco World Cup 2022 squad: Who's in and who's out? {{!}} Goal.com |url=https://www.goal.com/en-bh/lists/morocco-2022-world-cup-squad-hakimi-ziyech-mazraoui-qatar/blta36257fc4feeb66a |access-date=10 November 2022 |website=www.goal.com}}{{Cite web |date=10 November 2022 |title=Moroccan coach unveils list of 26 Atlas Lions in 2022 World Cup |url=https://en.hespress.com/52697-moroccan-coach-unveils-list-of-26-atlas-lions-in-2022-world-cup.html |access-date=10 November 2022 |website=HESPRESS English - Morocco News |language=en-US}} On 17 December, he made his World Cup debut in the 3rd place playoff against Croatia in an eventual 2–1 loss.{{cite web |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/liveblog/2022/12/17/live-croatia-vs-morocco-world-cup-2022 |title=Croatia vs Morocco 2-1: World Cup 2022 – as it happened |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=17 December 2022 }}
Personal life
On 23 February 2024, Chair, along with his brother Jaber, were convicted of assaulting a truck driver by a court in Antwerp. He was found to have assaulted the truck driver with a rock, breaking his skull and leaving him unconscious.{{Cite news |last=MacInnes |first=Paul |date=2024-02-23 |title=QPR's Ilias Chair sentenced to year in Belgian prison for breaking man's skull |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/feb/23/qprs-ilias-chair-sentenced-to-year-in-belgian-prison-for-breaking-mans-skull |access-date=2024-02-29 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} He was sentenced to 12 months in prison with a further 12 months suspended. Chair is appealing the sentence, and Queens Park Rangers have stated that he will remain available for selection during the appeals process.{{cite web |url=https://talksport.com/football/1761378/qpr-ilias-chair-prison-assault-truck-driver/ |title=QPR release statement on Ilias Chair after player sentenced to prison for assault on truck driver |publisher=TalkSport |date=23 February 2024 }}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|4 May 2024|{{Soccerway}}}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|Includes FA Cup}} !colspan="2"|League cup{{efn|Includes EFL Cup}} !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="3"|Lierse
|2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2016–17
|0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 2 | 0 | |||
| rowspan="8" |Queens Park Rangers
|4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 7 | 1 | ||
| 2018–19
|Championship |4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20{{Soccerbase season|106669|2019|name=Ilias Chair|access-date=25 November 2020}}
|Championship |41 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | 45 | 5 | ||
| 2020–21{{Soccerbase season|106669|2020|name=Ilias Chair|access-date=25 November 2020}}
|Championship |45 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 47 | 8 | ||
| 2021–22{{Soccerbase season|106669|2021|name=Ilias Chair|access-date=8 October 2021}}
|Championship |39 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 43 | 9 | ||
| 2022–23{{Soccerbase season|106669|2022|name=Ilias Chair|access-date=9 May 2023}}
|Championship |40 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 42 | 5 | ||
| 2023–24
|Championship |44 |7 |0 |0 |0 |0 | colspan="2" |— |44 |7 | ||||||||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!217 | 34 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | 236 | 35 | ||
| Stevenage (loan)
|16 | 6 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | 16 | 6 | |||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!235 | 39 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 254 | 40 |
{{notelist}}
=International=
{{updated|match played 17 December 2022}}
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="2"|Morocco
|2021 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 5 | 0 | |
| colspan=2|Total
!12 | 1 |
:As of match played 27 September 2022. England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Chair goal.
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Ilias Chair | ||||||||
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | class=unsortable|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=center|1 | 6 October 2021 | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco | align=center|4 | {{fb|GNB}} | align=center|3–0 | align=center|5–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | align=center|{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/qualifiers/caf/match-center/400204267|title=Morocco 5–0 Guinea–Buissau|website=www.fifa.com|date=6 October 2021|accessdate=26 November 2021}} |
Honours
Individual
- Championship Goal of the Month: October 2021
Orders
- Order of the Throne: 2022{{cite web | url=http://telquel.ma/2016/09/02/les-dix-types-wissams-royaux-accordes-mohammed-vi_1512834 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221221000838/https://telquel.ma/2016/09/02/les-dix-types-wissams-royaux-accordes-mohammed-vi_1512834#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url | url-status=dead | archive-date=21 December 2022 | title=Les dix types de wissams royaux accordés par Mohammed VI | access-date=28 April 2023 }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{soccerbase|id=106669|name=Ilias Chair}}
{{Queens Park Rangers F.C. squad}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Morocco squads
| bg = #BA1219
| fg = white
| bordercolor = #006233
| list1 =
{{Morocco squad 2021 Africa Cup of Nations}}
{{Morocco squad 2022 FIFA World Cup}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chair, Ilias}}
Category:Belgian sportspeople of Moroccan descent
Category:Belgian people of Polish descent
Category:Moroccan people of Belgian descent
Category:Moroccan people of Polish descent
Category:Moroccan men's footballers
Category:21st-century Moroccan sportsmen
Category:Belgian men's footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Morocco men's international footballers
Category:Morocco men's under-20 international footballers
Category:Morocco men's youth international footballers
Category:2021 Africa Cup of Nations players
Category:2022 FIFA World Cup players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Challenger Pro League players
Category:Queens Park Rangers F.C. players
Category:Stevenage F.C. players
Category:Moroccan expatriate men's footballers
Category:Belgian expatriate men's footballers
Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in England
Category:Moroccan expatriate sportspeople in England
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England
Category:Footballers from Antwerp
Category:JMG Academy (Lier) players
Category:Sportspeople convicted of crimes