7 - Wayne Routledge

Right winger Wayne Routledge signed for QPR from Aston Villa in January 2009 turning down a chance to join Cardiff City.

DOB 07/01/1985
Height – 5ft 7ins
Weight – 10st
Contract Expires – 2012

QPR beat Cardiff City to the signature of pacy right winger Wayne Routledge in the January transfer window of 2009. Routledge had impressed the Welsh outfit while on loan there from Aston Villa and Cardiff were less than impressed with his decision to move to Loftus Road on a lucrative deal instead of Ninian Park.

Despite making nearly 150 appearances for six different clubs Routledge is only 23 years old so should have his best days ahead of him. Rangers paid Aston Villa £300,000  for the winger who signed a three and a half year deal. He started his QPR career in fine form and opened his goalscoring account with a strike at Derby in a 2-0 win but he was largely anonymous through the spring and much more will be expected of him in 2009/10.

Routledge, who took over the number seven shirt from Danny Parejo, first came into the game at Crystal Palace as they were promoted to the Premiership under Iain Dowie. Palace were relegated straight back the following season but Routledge had done enough to convince top flight clubs that he was worth a gamble and Tottenham won the race for his signature in the summer of 2005. He rarely got a chance at White Hart Lane and actually made more appearances out on loan at Portsmouth and Fulham than he did with Spurs.

Nevertheless Martin O’Neill saw something in him and splashed out £1.25m to take him to Villa Park 18 months ago. QPR had tried to take him on loan from Spurs and then made a permanent offer when he chose to go to Aston Villa instead. Rangers have finally got their man now though after Routledge’s unhappy spell at Villa.

He impressed with two goals in nine games on loan with Cardiff and the Bluebirds were keen on making that deal permanent – in fact their chairman Peter Ridsdale went out of his way to reassure Cardiff fans that they would be signing him. Routledge was recalled from Ninian Park by Aston Villa on January 2, two weeks early, ahead of the move to Loftus Road.

Routledge told the club’s official website at the time: “I'm thrilled to be here. QPR are a club with huge ambitions and as soon as they showed their interest in me, I was determined to speak to them. It's nice coming back to London, but the geography didn't play a big part in my decision - the reason I am here is because the manager showed an unbelievable desire to get me to QPR and I am delighted to have sealed the move."

What to read next: