Hoop Dreams - QPR FC

It is increasingly difficult to keep a track on the number of loan players at QPR these days. Neil Warnock admitted to having to drop Marcus Bent at the last minute prior to his first game against West Brom because, unbeknownst to him, he had exceeded the permissible number of loan players in his match-day squad. Bent now seems to have gone walkabout; Dusko Tosic, a left-back from Portsmouth, was brought in by Warnock but is still to play and a significant proportion of QPR goals this season have come from loan players, particularly Adel Taarabt and Jay Simpson.

Warnock's selection headaches will be eased slightly following today's game which will be keeper Carl Ikeme's last for the club, freeing up a loanee spot in the squad, as the player has to return to Wolves. But judging by the high regard for Ikeme around QPR, particularly from goalkeeping coach David Rouse and from Ikeme's own comments, it will not be a completely welcome return.

After Saturday's game, he said: "I've loved it here and I'm disappointed to be going back.

"I wish I could stay."

It's rare you see such honesty from a player returning to his own club, but it's a reflection of Ikeme's place in the pecking order at Wolves. As their third-choice keeper he faces time spent in the stands instead of on the pitch, a prospect which is far from appealing to the Birmingham-born player, who admitted he isn't a good watcher of games. He also confessed that one of the most enjoyable aspects of his time at QPR was the sheer number of games he got to play, with virtually an uninterrupted spell between the posts since his arrival.

That was in January and before he had even played his first game, QPR had confirmed the worst of their stereotypes by parting company with manager Paul Hart. So Ikeme's first game in the Rangers gloves was under Mick Harford, a 2-2 draw with Blackpool which in the context of this season looks like a decent result.

"Three managers in the space of a few months is a bit crazy," he said.

"It wasn't what I was expecting but I had heard a few stories. I think now the new board is in charge though, it's a more stable club."

You could have forgiven the player for doing a runner after only his second game. That was a 5-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest and though few would have attributed blame at Ikeme's door, it can't have done wonders for his confidence. He stuck to his guns though, even when the club went on to further defeats against Scunthorpe and Peterborough and he formed an important part of a more solid defence under Neil Warnock, earning the club their first clean sheet since October when they beat Plymouth on March 9.

He really couldn't have joined at a worse time and it was clear that he had quickly picked up on the negativity which was surrounding the club. Importantly though, and well-placed as an outsider to judge, he felt the atmosphere had greatly improved and that the supporters were now wholly behind the team.

"I think the fans have seen that the club has started to move forward," he said.

"They're getting behind the team even though we're in a sticky patch which is important."

Not to forget that he was keeping Radek Cerny out of the side for the duration of his stay in west London. Cerny had some blips this season, most notably in the home game against today's opponents, Leicester, when he gifted the away side a goal, but he was also the custodian when QPR finished last season as the safest defence in the league. That Ikeme was able to supplant him without any friction between the two says a lot about the character of both men.

Unfortunately, league rules state that he has to return to Wolves after today's game despite almost no chance of playing in their first team before the end of this season. He said his one regret was leaving whilst Rangers are still unsure of their Championship status, although a clean sheet and even a win against the Foxes today would go a long way towards settling that.

The door isn't closed on a possible return even though Warnock may prefer his own candidate, such as former colleague Julian Speroni at Crystal Palace. But regardless of his future involvement with the club, it was clear that he is leaving with a high regard for QPR.