Blackburn Rovers drew a blank with transfer deal for ex-QPR & Bristol City favourite | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers' decision to sign Bradley Orr ended up being a huge mistake

Blackburn Rovers' decision to sign Bradley Orr from Queens Park Rangers in January 2012 appeared shrewd on paper, but ended up being a total disaster.

When Steve Kean sanctioned the move for Orr on a three-and-a-half-year deal from the West London club, the logic seemed sound.

The Scouse defender had established himself as a reliable performer during seven years at Bristol City, making over 200 league appearances and earning a place in the PFA Championship Team of the Season for 07/08.

His subsequent move to the R's in 2010 proved equally successful, playing a key role in their promotion to the Premier League as he appeared 33 times in the league.

Orr's experience at the highest level was exactly what Blackburn needed as they battled relegation. The full-back had made 18 top-flight appearances across both spells with the aforementioned teams and was still on the right side of thirty.

Bradley Orr's comments after Blackburn Rovers relegation

Any hopes that Orr would prove a quality addition were quickly dashed as Blackburn's season spiralled towards disaster.

Despite his arrival, Rovers continued their dismal form and were relegated to the Championship following a 1-0 defeat to Wigan on 7th May 2012 - it marked the end of an 11-year-stay in the Premier League.

However, it was Orr's conduct on the evening of relegation that would truly poison his relationship with Rovers' fans.

In a post-match Sky Sports interview, the defender offered unwavering support for the deeply unpopular Steve Keen. At a time when supporters were demanding the manager's head after overseeing relegation, Orr's public backing of Keen was seen as a betrayal.

Bradley Orr's exile from Lancashire

The fallout from that fateful interview was certainly swift and brutal. Orr found himself frozen out of first-team contention, and he made just 34 appearances for Blackburn across his entire time at the club.

By November 2012, he was already being shipped out on loan to Ipswich Town, where he made 13 appearances. He told the Tractor Boy's official website upon moving to Suffolk that he was "interested in a permanent move."

Orr ended up being briefly recalled from his Town loan in January, but it soon became clear that his Rovers career was effectively over.

Manager Michael Appleton's decision to bring him back proved temporary, and the defender was soon loaned out again to Blackpool until 2014. It's fair to say a pattern was established - in that Orr would spend the remainder of his contract shuttled between loan clubs.

The defender himself acknowledged the hopelessness of his situation during his Tangerines loan spell, telling BBC Radio Lancashire, "If I'm being totally honest, I think I've probably played my last game there."

"There's a culmination of events and factors behind that. I wish them all the best, but I wouldn't see myself playing for them again," Orr added.

David Dunn publicly supported Bradley Orr

Orr's last meaningful football came during a loan spell with Major League Soccer side Toronto FC.

The move to Canada represented a chance for a fresh start away from the toxicity that had surrounded his Blackburn tenure. Under former teammate Ryan Nelsen's management, Orr made 19 league appearances and scored once - in a 2-2 draw with Sporting Kansas.

When he returned to England, the writing was on the wall, and Orr's contract was terminated by mutual consent in March 2015 - he subsequently announced his retirement from football via Twitter.

Having not made an appearance for Rovers since April 2013, Orr stated, "As of now I am retired from football.

"I've loved every minute of my career and I've got no regrets whatsoever, only great memories."

While his defensive ability was never seriously in question - David Dunn described him as someone who "took a lot of guts to put himself in that firing line" - his association with the toxic Kean era proved impossible to overcome.