5 Best Players to Represent Tottenham and QPR
With Tottenham Hotspur travelling across the capital to face Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on Saturday, it seems as good a time as any to compile a list of the best players to have played for both clubs during their careers.
In recent years, QPR have enjoyed (stretching the definition of that word to breaking point) several Spurs players on loan.
Tom Carroll and Benoit Assou-Ekotto both spent time on loan at QPR, while their former team-mate Jermaine Jenas made a permanent move to west London. Steven Caulker is another former Spurs player who is now on the books at Rangers.
However, none of those players make it onto our list.
Read on to see who could possibly have edged out the likes of Assou-Ekotto for a place in the top five.
Niko Kranjcar
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Niko Kranjcar is currently an on-loan member of QPR's squad, though the 30-year-old has started just 10 games for the struggling side this season, and his time in the Premier League is likely to end this season regardless of whether his team escapes the drop.
Harry Redknapp has never been one to shy away from buying his favourite players at a new club, and Kranjcar benefited from this policy more than most. First acquiring the Croatian playmaker at Portsmouth, Redknapp also brought him in at Spurs and QPR.
His first season on loan at QPR in the Championship was more successful than 2014-15 has been.
While Kranjcar has only been a fitful starter at QPR, his time at Spurs was defined by some headline moments. His goals against Manchester City and Bolton in 2010 were a big part of Spurs' qualification for the Champions League.
Unfortunately, his Spurs career never really took off, with Croatia team-mate Luka Modric often taking his attacking role.
Kranjcar was a casualty of Redknapp's sacking as Spurs manager, but his brief Tottenham career produced some memorable moments for Spurs fans.
Sandro
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It may seem difficult to believe today, but Sandro was once one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League.
The Brazilian developed quickly after joining Tottenham and even captained his national team at various levels.
His athleticism, fierce tackling and quick distribution made him the perfect foil for Luka Modric in the centre of Spurs' team.
His move to QPR provided an opportunity to re-establish himself as a top midfield player but, as at Spurs, injuries have largely robbed him of the chance.
At his best, Sandro was the ultimate central-midfield player. Possessing a thunderous shot and a charming personality, the Beast was a fan favourite at Tottenham and may yet establish himself as one at Loftus Road.
He is still several days from his 26th birthday and could well go on to become a great player for QPR, but for his performances at Spurs alone, Sandro finds a place on this list.
Kyle Walker
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Kyle Walker is the first player on this list to have earned his place through performances at both Spurs and QPR.
Walker enjoyed an excellent loan spell at Loftus Road in the Championship. While he didn't score for Rangers, he was an attacking threat and a creative force.
In fact, Walker was so successful at QPR that he was recalled and sent to Aston Villa in the Premier League.
His rise continued on his return to Spurs, where he quickly won the starting right-back job from Vedran Corluka and a series of other competitors.
He is now a veteran and the presumptive England full-back. His defensive positioning has often been criticised, but Walker is the embodiment of the modern full-back.
Walker will likely remain at Spurs for many years to come and may yet win a place as a true Tottenham great. He has his flaws, but as Mauricio Pochettino has shown with Danny Rose, coaching can work wonders.
Clive Allen
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Clive Allen is not an obvious choice as a legend at Tottenham or QPR, but some truly astonishing seasons with both clubs win him his place on this list.
His 49 goals in 1986-87, the season that almost was for Spurs, remains a single-season record for Tottenham.
Spurs finished in third place in the First Division, lost to Coventry City in the FA Cup final and suffered a defeat against Arsenal in a League Cup semi-final. Combined with Allen's remarkable haul, it was a season to remember—or perhaps one to forget—for Spurs fans.
Before his prodigious spell in north London, Allen plundered 72 league goals for QPR. A local junior, Allen led the club into the First Division before moving on.
Allen has held coaching roles at both Spurs and QPR and remains popular with the fans of both clubs.
Les Ferdinand
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88 goals in west London and 39 more for Spurs makes Les Ferdinand a genuine legend at both Tottenham Hotspur and QPR.
"Sir Les" is a beloved figure at White Hart Lane and was a popular member of the coaching staff under Harry Redknapp, Andre Villas-Boas and Tim Sherwood.
As a player at Spurs, Ferdinand was heroic. His partnership with the returning Jurgen Klinsmann kept the club in the Premier League.
Had he made the most of his chances in the 2002 League Cup final, he would rank even higher in Spurs' pantheon.
Now, having moved to Rangers as director of football, Ferdinand has the chance to further write himself into their history books.
If he can once again save a London club from the drop, he will move into a special place in the history of football in the capital.
