QPR hit the jackpot with defender deal - Crystal Palace did them a favour | OneFootball

Clint Hill won Premier League promotion twice with the R's

Queens Park Rangers struck gold when they secured defender Clint Hill on a free transfer from Crystal Palace in 2010.

The Eagles' decision to release Hill at the end of his contract in 2010 unintentionally handed QPR one of their shrewdest signings in recent history.

The 31-year-old had been hampered by recurring injury problems throughout his career, which he admitted to in an interview whilst north of the border at Glasgow giants Rangers.

"I had a lot of injuries when I was younger - cruciates, broken legs, ankle injuries," Hill said.

Despite this, Neil Warnock, who had worked with Hill during his time at Selhurst Park, saw beyond the injury concerns.

Upon signing for the R's, Hill revealed to the club's website: "Neil played a massive role in my decision to move to QPR - he's such an infectious character.

"He was probably the only manager who could tempt me to stay in the south," he added.

How Clint Hill became a hero at QPR

Despite initial scepticism about his signing, Hill quickly established himself as a key member of Warnock's squad - he missed just two league games during QPR's title-winning 10/11 campaign, managing to score two goals in the process.

Hill's influence that campaign was recognised by the media, and he was named in the Championship Team of the Season, with Sky Sports describing him as a "defensive rock" who had made the left-back position his own in a promotion-winning campaign.

However, the following season didn't start off too brightly for Hill. He was sent off for a headbutt on Bolton's Martin Petrov in the opening game of the season - a 4-0 defeat at Loftus Road.

After serving his suspension, Hill was somewhat surprisingly sent on loan to then-Championship side Nottingham Forest, suggesting that even Warnock had some doubts about whether he was good enough for the Premier League.

Although just a 93-day loan, Hill was recalled early and returned to make an immediate impact. His comeback resulted in a man-of-the-match performance in a 1-0 away victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

There is no doubt that Hill was one of the main reasons why QPR ended up surviving on the final day of the season, and he was awarded both Players' Player and Supporters' Player of the Year for his displays.

Captaining QPR at Wembley was Clint Hill's "best feeling" as a footballer

Hill eventually captained the West London club a few years later, and described his feelings walking up the Wembley steps after QPR's playoff final win over Derby County as the "best feeling" he had ever experienced as a footballer.

In truth, few supporters would have disagreed with the decision to induct Hill into The Forever R's Club in 2019 - honouring a player who had given everything for the R's cause across six seasons.

The Forever R's club was set up to celebrate the achievements of former players, managers and coaches who have made a contribution to the side's history. In total, Hill made 185 appearances for QPR before signing a one-year contract at the Gers.

Sometimes, the most valuable signings are those that other clubs overlook or undervalue. Crystal Palace's decision to release Hill may have made sense at the time, but in doing so, they handed QPR one of the greatest bargains in modern Championship history.