QPR's swoop for Real Madrid wonderkid hit the buffers in a disappointing way | OneFootball

Queens Park Rangers loaned in Dani Parejo from Real Madrid for 18 games whilst in the Championship

Queens Park Rangers had just endured a turbulent 2007/08 season, with each of John Gregory, Mick Harford, and Luigi Di Canio taking charge at Loftus Road across the campaign on their way to a 14th-place finish.

Former Crystal Palace and Coventry City boss Iain Dowie was appointed as QPR boss at the beginning of the following season, having previously finished his playing career with the West London outfit and spending a brief spell in charge as caretaker boss a decade prior.

Dowie was tasked with improving the club's position and dragging the R’s up the table, and saw the summer transfer window as an opportunity to bring in some much-needed quality.

Lee Cook was brought in from city rivals Fulham, whilst Heidar Helguson was signed from Bolton Wanderers, and Radek Cerny joined on a free transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to be the club's new number one goalkeeper.

However, their most interesting acquisition came from across the continent, as QPR delved into the Real Madrid ranks to pluck a promising youngster from the Spanish giants’ grasp, in a move that proved to be more forgettable than memorable.

Queens Park Rangers signed Dani Parejo on loan from Real Madrid in 2008

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Best known for his time with Valencia and Villarreal, Dani Parejo has been a staple of Spanish football for more than a decade. Having come through the youth system at Real Madrid, the midfielder scored prolifically from the middle of the park for Los Blancos, and in the summer of 2008, an interesting proposition came his way.

The then-19-year-old had yet to make his senior debut for Real Madrid, but had earned interest across the continent in the form of QPR, who offered to take the young Parejo on loan for the season, having just finished in the bottom half of the Championship.

Former QPR chairman Flavio Briatore reportedly used his friendship with former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon to secure a deal for Parejo, with the Italian businessman saying: “What we will try to do is open our eyes and work with the likes of Real Madrid, AC Milan and Juventus. We aren't looking only in the UK.

“We are lucky in that we have a reputation for doing things properly and we have been in sport a long time. We know who our targets are and maybe Dani is here with us for a year, two years, maybe forever - let's see how well he does.”

Parejo had seen the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Fernando Torres, and Xabi Alonso thrive upon making the move to the United Kingdom, and was hoping to do similar, saying: “Spanish players are having are having great success in English football. For me it's a challenge and for me the only target is to achieve our objective, which is to get into the Premier League.

"If I wasn't convinced that QPR wasn't very ambitious I wouldn't have come. My objective is to come to this team, I have felt this ambition and I am convinced we will achieve our objective.”

Under Ian Dowie, the Spaniard made his debut for the Hoops just five days after signing, coming on in the 72nd minute in a 2-1 home victory over Barnsley, and he would subsequently start the next three league games thereafter against Doncaster Rovers, Bristol City, and Southampton, winning two and drawing once.

However, from there, he would find himself in and out of the squad, competing for game time alongside the likes of Mikele Leigertwood, Gavin Mahon, Martin Rowlands, and Hogan Ephraim, and would start just two of the next seven league games, being substituted off at half time against Blackpool at Loftus Road.

Dowie would be dismissed towards the end of October and would be replaced by former Portuguese midfielder Paulo Sousa, as Parejo’s game time only decreased following his arrival.

The Spaniard would play his final for the R's game in a 0-0 draw away to Crystal Palace in late November, where once again he would be substituted off at half-time, ending his disappointing and forgetful spell in West London, as Parejo returned to Madrid in the January transfer window, where he would make five league appearances for Los Blancos before the end of the season.

Dani Parejo would find greater success elsewhere after forgetful QPR spell

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Parejo’s time away from Spain would be fleeting, and it’s understandable why.

The midfielder would star for Getafe the following two campaigns, before making the switch to the Mestalla with Valencia, with whom he would make 383 appearances across all competitions, before a switch to rivals Villarreal, with whom he would make a further 269 appearances.

With over 550 Spanish top-flight appearances to his name, one Europa League, and one Copa del Rey, Parejo has had a truly wonderful career; his time at QPR remains a brief and random stint on his illustrious CV, as he was never truly able to make an impact during his time in the UK, in what would prove to be an incredibly forgettable spell.