QPR stunned the Premier League with the signing of Man Utd & England legend for £0 | OneFootball

Rio Ferdinand made the surprising switch to QPR in 2014 but it was not a deal that anyone will remember fondly.

Rio Ferdinand’s legendary time at Manchester United came to an end in the summer of 2014, and nobody expected that his next move would be to join QPR as a free agent.

The Hoops had been promoted back to the Premier League after being relegated in 2013, and were hoping to make a big splash in the division with a number of big-name signings.

Ferdinand was joined by the likes of Leroy Fer, Steven Caulker, Sandro and Jordan Mutch, among others, and whilst the London outfit showed a willingness to spend, no name stood out as much as the centre-back.

It had been a disappointing end to Ferdinand’s time at Old Trafford, but there was no denying the incredible success he’d enjoyed in his time with the club, which led to a lot of excitement when he opted to make the move to Loftus Road for the final stages of his career.

Rio Ferdinand didn't have QPR impact he nor the club would've hoped for

Unfortunately, Ferdinand was unable to make the positive impact that supporters were hoping for when he arrived.

The centre-back brought experience and leadership to Harry Redknapp’s side having won six league titles, two EFL Cups and a Champions League during his time with Man United, as well as earning 81 caps for England.

But at 35, it was clear that he was no longer able to compete to the same level as he used to, with injuries and fitness proving an issue too.

Ferdinand made his debut for the Hoops in their opening league fixture of the season, starting in a 1-0 loss to Hull City.

However, the veteran defender played only 10 more times in the Premier League after that, with the team winning on just two occasions with him on the pitch.

He also played in an FA Cup clash against Sheffield United in which the Premier League side lost 3-0 to then-League One opposition.

Ferdinand’s QPR stint ended his career at a low point

A total of 12 appearances across one season led to Ferdinand hanging up his boots and calling it a day on his incredibly successful career.

However, his time at QPR meant that he went out on a low point, with the club also suffering relegation back to the Championship with a 20th-place finish.

The centre-back’s stint at Loftus Road is not one that either the player nor the club or its supporters will remember fondly as a result.

Ferdinand ultimately expressed his regret at not ending his career at Old Trafford many years later when appearing on the Stick to Football podcast in April 2024.

“I wish I finished my career at Manchester United, rather than moving to QPR,” he said.

“Because it was the first time I had been in a changing room where people were talking about money and wages.

“You’d hear murmurings of players talking about it and I found it mad. We had players not wanting to train because they were on a certain amount of money, the intensity wasn’t that high, and for whatever Harry Redknapp was trying to do, the players weren’t buying into it, and that team ended up getting relegated.”

It was a move that everyone involved lived to regret, with QPR yet to return to the Premier League in the years since that 2015 relegation.