Neil Warnock has strengthened his defence with the signing for former QPR favourite Danny Shittu on a six month contract.

Facts

Shittu has spent the last three months playing in the Championship with Millwall to some acclaim. Having returned from the World Cup in South Africa, where he represented Nigeria, as a free agent Shittu trained with Crystal Palace during the summer before signing a three month contract with Millwall in October. He has made ten appearances for the Lions so far but has chosen to return to Loftus Road on a six month contract, rather than extend his time at the New Den.

Shittu began his professional career by writing to every club in London asking for a trial – a tactic that eventually earned him a professional deal at Charlton. He never made a senior appearance for the Addicks and after leaving spoke about his disappointment at the way Alan Curbishley dealt with players on the periphery of the first team. He enjoyed a successful loan spell in the Second Division with Blackpool in the second half of the 2000/01 season.

In 2001/02 cash strapped QPR also took Shittu on loan and although he was sent off on his debut in a 4-1 defeat at Peterborough United he went on to star in Ian Holloway’s team. Despite being in administration QPR were able to complete a permanent signing of the giant centre half for a fee in the region of £350,000 thanks to the generosity of the Winton family who also bankrolled the captures of DouDou and Marc Bircham around the same time. At the time Brentford were the West London side splashing the cash and owner Ron Noades was fuming at missing out on Shittu to a club in administration – Rangers were subsequently placed under a transfer embargo after Noades complained and clubs now have such restrictions imposed automatically when in administration.

Despite rupturing knee ligaments (an injury he initially played through for a whole half) at Bournemouth in the 2003/04 season Shittu was an integral and popular member of the team that won promotion into the Championship and consolidated its place there. When Rangers founds themselves short on cash again in the summer of 2006 Shittu was sold for £1.6m to Watford, then newly promoted into the Premiership. He made 175 appearances for QPR and scored an impressive 17 goals from centre half.

At Watford he failed to really make the Premiership grade as the Hornets were relegated at the first attempt and although he was given another crack at the top flight by Bolton he made only 12 starts in two years at the Reebok Stadium prior to his release during the summer.

He rejoins QPR on a short term, six month contract with a view to a summer extension.

Reaction

“I'm excited and emotional to be back here. Everyone knows this is my home. I've got a lot of friends here and the fans know how I feel about them. I've been through a lot of highs and lows at QPR, but the place is buzzing at the moment and I can't wait to pull on the Rangers shirt again and give my all." Danny Shittu

You have to say well done to Warnock and the board. All the areas we needed to strengthen have been. All with players proven at this level, who have a point to prove and whose names will be cheered rather than jeered by the fans. The additions we've made will no doubt cause palpitations in most of the opposition managers for the remainder of the season and it's the best squad we've had since we were last in the Prem. I have to say I feel remarkably positive. I think I need a lay down now. Nurse!!! Aitch

I'm thrilled by this news and our activity in the transfer window has far exceeded my expectations. I really don't think we could have done any better and think the fit is just about as perfect as we could have wished for. It really gives us a sensational chance of taking the division. Neil SI

Opinion

The problem with going back is that when a player leaves in the first place they are often doing well – either in their prime or a promising up and coming young player – and therefore a team is tempted to buy them. By the time they return they’re often on a downward curve of their career and often form a pale shadow of that bright young thing everybody remembers. I always wondered if that is how Les Ferdinand would be if he came back to Loftus Road at the end of his career having left for £6m right at the height of his goal scoring powers – perhaps it’s fortunate we never got to find out.

With Routledge the lad is still only 26 and I doubt his strengths have dwindled, or his weaknesses been improved, greatly in the year he has been away. Shittu has been absent a good deal longer. When he left he was the stand out player in a thoroughly abysmal QPR side, a very big fish in a very small and dingy pond. It could be the case that QPR fans remember him fondly, and will therefore welcome him back like a returning hero, simply because he stood out so much from that poor team and will subsequently be disappointed to find he can be a little rash, accident prone and not at all God like at times.

Another thing Shittu and Routledge have in common is that neither is good enough for the Premiership. They’ve both tried, and they’ve both failed several times. Shittu could point to extenuating circumstances at Watford where again he found himself surrounded by team mates not nearly good enough for the level they were playing at, but Bolton are Premiership mainstays these days and neither Gary Megson nor Owen Coyle were able to find even a bit part role for him at the Reebok Stadium. Shittu was forced to train with Crystal Palace after returning from a poor World Cup in the summer and Millwall would only give him a three month deal during which time he impressed, but was troubled by hamstring problems.

Those are the few negatives I can see in what is overwhelmingly, in my opinion, a positive move by Neil Warnock who tried to sign Shittu twice during his time at Sheffield United. Since Kyle Walker’s departure our defence has lacked pace – Shittu is bloody quick. When faced with Grant Holt and other similarly built brute strength type forwards this season Rangers have struggled – Shittu is built like a brick shit house. Having already lost Peter Ramage for the season and Walker at the end of his loan spell we are woefully short on cover at the back with only the dreaded prospect of a recall for Fitz Hall or the newly chunked out Gary Borrowdale as other options for us, in a recent reserve game Spurs leant us two centre halves for our team – in Shittu we have a proven Championship player who has been playing regularly in this league for Millwall. We lack a threat from set pieces this season, often due to Taarabt’s poor delivery in fairness – Shittu scored 17 times from centre half in his last spell with us.

And that’s without even going into the lift his arrival will give to the place. He was an immensely popular figure here last time and he is a very effective defender at this level, one that has been getting good reviews for his performances with Millwall this season. To pick up such a player for free and be able to put him straight into the team is a tremendous piece of business.

Photo: Action Images

eastside_r added 10:58 - Jan 27 Surely the fee from Watford was £3m. Our supremo made that quite clear at the time and was the subject of much message-board traffic.
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Northernr added 11:00 - Jan 27 Haha, yeh, good one.
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Myke added 11:25 - Jan 27 You finally got to upload this report Clive! I agree with all you say and i have expressed resevations about Conolly's ability ro handle the physicality of this league before. Only thing I'm not sure about is whether Shittu is fit enough to go straight into the team - I saw on other message boards that he is possibly hamstrung until mid-Feb?
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WanderR added 11:39 - Jan 27 Chim chiminey Chim chiminey Chim chim cher-oo! Who needs Sol Campbell When you're got Shittu? Our song repertoire just received a massive boost.
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SomersetHoops added 11:57 - Jan 27 Yes WanderR I remember that one and more lauding Danny uknowuR, but I hope he stays fit and is still good enough to stand out at this level and beyond. I think in addition to those Clive mentions we also have Gavin Mahon on a month by month basis or is he just there to keep the physio's couch warm for the others?
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French_Hoops added 11:59 - Jan 27 I really don't mean to be negative but I raise my eyebrows when I read on the official website that it was feeling like coming back home for him and that he couldn't wait for it to happen. If so, why did he train with Palace before joining Millwall instead? Anyway, who do you think he would better partner on the pitch? Gorkss or Connors? Personally I'm a big fan of Connolly who despite a lack of physicality has a fantastic positioning and great reading of the game so it'd be a big blow for the lad to lose out his place to Shittu...

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SomersetHoops added 12:11 - Jan 27 French, I expect money we were prepared to pay in wages might have had some impact, but he was an oustandingly good team member before and was with us for quite a while so I think we ought to give him a good welcome back. I also rate Conolly, but if you saw the Marlon King goal you would agree that it should have been better defended by him and Gorks and hopefully a bit of competition for those places will keep them all 'on the ball' (while watching where the potential goalscorers are).

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French_Hoops added 13:10 - Jan 27 Totally agreeing Somerset! A healthy dose of competition can't hurt anyone. And the situation will be re-evaluated comes May, depending of which division we'll be playing next year.
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PinnerPaul added 13:19 - Jan 27 Facts are that he is injured & Hall did very well when he came on v Coventry. Think MC needs a break & is playing like it, so no complaints about having another option but Clive's negatives are pretty big negatives to me & in the admittingly brief highlights I have seen of Millwall's games this "fantastic pace" hasn't been much in evidence. An underwhelming signing for me but Neil has proved us wrong with so many of his signings and could well do so again with this one.

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headhoops added 13:42 - Jan 27 Great business by Colin. Shittu will slot in next to Kaspars and MC will shift to right back. Orr will be on the bench with onesizefitzhall and Borrowdale relgated to the stands. The headhoops regulary had a £10 on Shittu as first scorer - wonga! Happy days.
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Northernr added 14:18 - Jan 27 Second time I've seen it suggested that connolly should go to right back and orr be dropped. I've been quite impressed by Orr, and he's a proper right back as opposed to an out of position centre half. Why the rush to get him out of the team?
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DesertBoot added 14:22 - Jan 27 Another shrewd loan signing as we are paper thin for cover without having to shuffle the places. I totally disagree with headhoops about switching Connolly and dropping Bradley Orr. Why would you do that? There have been mistakes but no reason to suddenly start telling a solid rearguard that one of them is being replaced.
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Noelmc added 14:45 - Jan 27 More importantly it allows Warnock to move Connelly into midfield if Faurlin or Derry are injured, as we lack defensive midfield cover, with Mahon permanently injured and Rowlands out of favour. Overall I'm very pleased with the move. Great to see Dan back.
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chazranger added 15:02 - Jan 27 Connolly seems to be a player comfortable in many positions but I wouldnt play him ahead of ORR at RB! I am a big fan of shittu but i think he needs to wait his turn..... People saying connolly needs a rest, maybe he has looked a little off pace as of late but still 18 goals conceeded in 27 league games, surely the dencemust be doing something right.
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DesertBoot added 15:54 - Jan 27 ...and I wouldn't have Connolly in midfield either. I didn't think he did a particularly good job (not his fault) against pitiful Preston. With Buz back in training and Vaagen Moen seemingly adaptable, to play around with the defence would be foolish.
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qprvks added 17:41 - Jan 27 What a rubbish signing! He was useless last time, unless he has improved a lot its a compleate waste of a shirt! At least its a short contract!
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Hook added 18:20 - Jan 27 Big Dan was at his best playing alongside Clarke Carlisle, I still think he needs someone next to him who can talk him through a game. If we start playing from the back I think he will slot in next to Matt Connelly so he can do likewise. Then again if it aint broke don't fix it. IWWT
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Myke added 20:11 - Jan 27 I think the most important thing about Shittu's signing is that it strengthens the squad in general and in an area where we were weak in particular. I thnk Shittu doesn't necessarily have to get a place automatically and I certainly wouldn't drop Orr in a defensive reshuffle. But if you look at the four players who have come in and the three players we have lost through injury or loan ending then, notwithstanding the huge contribution of Mackie, you would have to say we are stronger than we were a month ago. I think of our promotion rivals, only Cardiff can say the same thing (Although Britton's return to Swansea could be hugely significant).

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Monahoop added 20:14 - Jan 27 Dan was a reliable work horse, strong and on the whole dependable. Perhaps not the most gifted player but it's good to see him back all the same. Just hope he can stay fit most of the time.
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westolian added 20:20 - Jan 27 How many goals have we conceded - 18 ? Does the defence need changing, NO DS is a great replacement Would be interested to know how many goals KG is to blame for against MC - I know whose would be more
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SheffieldSteve added 20:36 - Jan 27 A good article Clive. Saint Neil has said he's signed him to cover, and Big Dan, at his best, is way better than having Hall at the back. We're 5 points clear with by far the best goal difference (worth a point), so I'm carrying on trusting Warnock. U Rs!!
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Spiritof67 added 21:10 - Jan 27 We need a squad of players to get us out of this division, and the players we have signed in January certainly fit the bill. I've said it before any further long term injuries, in particular the back four, and we would have been struggling. With three tough games coming up in less than a week I believe Warnock has done the right thing, two players to compliment the existing back four, a forward who on first impressions has far more ability, muscle and power than Clarke. And the in addition the skill of Routledge. OK so some of these players may not have set the Premiership alight, but lets cross that bridge we we come to it.

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YorkRanger added 21:26 - Jan 27 Some very well considered comments on here. Personally I think its a good signing and we should trust warnock. I don't expect any changes straight away but with Hall rarely fully fit we need to avoid the situation where as a result of a suspension or injury we end having to draft Clint Hill into Centre Half (although you know he will give 110% there if asked). Shittu must be a decent option for us and I think completes a good period of transfer activity that should leave us well placed to press on and complete the job we have started.

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JB007007 added 21:38 - Jan 27 Agree with most of the comments. I think he was the best available cover we could have gone for. Certainly wouldn't change the back line unless we start shipping goals at an alarming rate. Bradley Orr did ok at the start of the season and only the brilliance of Walker kept him on the bench. He is proving to be a good right back in my opinion, so moving Connolly there would not do any good. In fact I thought he was poor at RB in some games previously. Clive, I love the old saying "built like a brick shit house". He will certainly keep the others at their best I'm sure.

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derbyhoop added 22:53 - Jan 27 Most telling comment was that neither Shittu nor Routledge are good enough for the Premiership. But we're not buying them for the Premiership. We're bringing them in to get us out of the Championship. What we do when that happens is another matter altogether and may explain why the owners, who must have spent. or in Tommy Smith's case, committed, £3m by the end of the first transfer window, were so reluctant to shell out again in January.

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