Former Queens Park Rangers forward Kevin Gallen was convinced Michael Beale was going to accept the head coach role at Wolverhampton Wanderers, making this admission on the West London Sport QPR Podcast.

Last Wednesday, it was revealed by David Ornstein that the 42-year-old had become the Midlands outfit's first-choice man for the top job, with Julen Lopetegui reportedly rejecting the job and the club opting against a return for Nuno Espirito Santo following his spell at Tottenham Hotspur.

With this, it was expected that his current side's clash against Cardiff City that evening would be his last in charge at Loftus Road, just four months after he put pen to paper in the English capital to succeed Mark Warburton.

The following day, talkSPORT reported that a formal approach had been made, the dreaded news that many QPR supporters didn't want to hear after seeing Beale guide them to a place in the promotion mix, currently sitting at the top of the table.

In a potentially surprising move though, the former Aston Villa assistant head coach decided to reject their advances and remain at Loftus Road, providing the club with a real boost.

And Gallen, like many QPR fans, thought he was on his way out when it was revealed that Wolves had Beale at the top of their managerial shortlist.

He said: "I was pretty convinced after Wednesday night that he was going to leave.

"And then there was the big turnaround the following day and he stayed, which was a great decision for QPR and the supporters.

"It’s a difficult one for him. He might have been thinking that he wants to manage in the Premier League.

"I know Wolves are struggling at the moment but it’s a big opportunity."

The Verdict:

Considering the size of the Midlands club and the players he would have got to work with, it's a slight surprise he turned this opportunity down because he may not get another opportunity to manage in the top flight.

However, he has a huge amount of potential as a head coach and will only get better with more experience under his belt, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him in the top tier sooner rather than later.

And the 42-year-old probably appreciates what he already has at Loftus Road, with a very talented squad at his disposal and a real chance of getting a promotion on his CV with his side in a strong position.

Also being in his current job for less than five months - his reputation may have been tarnished slightly if he had made the move - potentially a red flag to future employers who may want to hire him.

So in the end, this decision to stay put after settling into life in the English capital may pay dividends in the long term, even if he isn't managing at the top level now.