QPR rolled the transfer dice to land Loftus Road hero | OneFootball

Queens Park Rangers' signing of Charlie Austin proved to be worth its weight in gold

Having just suffered relegation from the Premier League, finishing rock-bottom of the top-flight table, Queens Park Rangers were keen not to spend too long back in the second tier.

Indeed, the 2012/13 season is infamous at Loftus Road as one of QPR's darkest times in their recent history, finishing in 20th in the Premier League, with extortionate wages handed to the likes of Christopher Samba, Loic Remy, Esteban Granero, and Julio Cesar.

Despite their squad being packed with talent, things never gelled, and upon their relegation, much of the squad left, eager not to stick around in the Championship, as the West London side had to ensure they brought in viable replacements.

Led by former Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp, under the ownership of Tony Fernandes, it was an immensely busy summer at the club, seeing over 30 players leave QPR over the summer, either on loan or permanently, with about a third of that figure arriving through the door.

However, whilst some of the signings they did make had little to no impact, there was one particular deal they struck with Burnley, which has had a lasting impact on the club to this day.

QPR signed Charlie Austin from Burnley for £4m in the summer of 2013

With each of Djibril Cisse, Loic Remy, and Jay Bothroyd leaving the club over the summer, a new centre forward at Loftus Road was made a priority over the summer, as QPR decided to part ways with £4 million for Burnley striker Charlie Austin.

Austin had shot into prominence with Swindon Town, hitting double-digit hauls in his first two professional seasons in League One, leading to a move up to Lancashire with Burnley in January 2011, where he continued his goalscoring spree.

The Englishman scored 16 and assisted twice in his first season at Turf Moor, and then hit 24 goals and grabbed three assists in his second, and was seen as the man to fire in the goals to take the R's back to the top flight.

He would quickly establish himself as the club's main centre-forward option, ahead of each of Andy Johnson, Kevin Doyle, and Bobby Zamora, though a dislocated shoulder would disrupt his season in late January.

Despite missing 12 games due to this, Austin finished the campaign with 20 goals and three assists in all competitions, including two in the play-offs, as a late Zamora strike against Derby County fired QPR back to the top flight in dramatic fashion.

Upon their return to the Premier League, Redknapp hung his hat on Austin once more and made him the club's main centre-forward, as the Englishman would repay that faith tenfold.

It would take him three games to net his first top-flight goal, and then another three to net his second, but as soon as he got his third, the goals began to fly in.

By the halfway point in the campaign, Austin had already netted 12 goals, including a hat-trick in a vital 3-2 victory over West Bromwich Albion.

The goals would somewhat slow down in the second half of the season, with Austin netting just a further six goals for the remainder of the campaign, finishing his inaugural top-flight season with 18 goals and six assists in 36 games.

He would contribute to as many goals as the likes of Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez and Chelsea's Eden Hazard, whilst also having more than Manchester United's Wayne Rooney and Manchester City's David Silva.

Despite his efforts, he could not save the R's from relegation, as they would once again finish bottom of the table and immediately return to the Championship.

The Englishman's efforts up top for QPR will never be forgotten, with few players having ever netted as many as he did for a side that finished at the foot of the table, which is a testament to just how good he was.

Despite interest from numerous Premier League sides over the summer, including Newcastle United, Leicester City, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur, the R's rejected bids of around £13.25 million for Austin, eager to keep him around.

He netted nine goals and grabbed one assist in 16 Championship games in the first half of the season, but when January came calling, the R's accepted a £4 million bid from Southampton for his services, as he left the club after two-and-a-half years.

QPR may regret not taking more money over the summer, but they will never forget the impact that Austin had at the club, despite their eventual relegation.

Charlie Austin has had an excellent career, but is best remembered for his exploits with QPR

After leaving West London, Austin would spend three-and-a-half years at St Mary's with Southampton, scoring 20 times in 81 games, before one-and-a-half years with West Brom, where he again failed to set the world alight.

He'd return to QPR in January 2021 on loan, and then permanently the following summer for one year, though he was never quite able to replicate the form he exhibited in years prior.

Spells with Brisbane Roar, Swindon Town, AFC Totton, Basingstoke Town, and finally Hungerford have followed, as the Englishman's career fizzled out in non-league.

He will always be best remembered for his time at QPR, and in particular his astonishing solo performance in the 2014/15 season, which was really the peak of his career.

R's fans will always look back on Austin fondly, and their gamble to bring him to the club more than paid off, as he remains a hero in West London to this day.