Director of football Les Ferdinand leaves QPR

QPR have announced that Les Ferdinand has left his director of football role at the club.

The ex-Newcastle and England striker joined the club initially in 2014 as the head of football operations before moving into the director of football role in 2015.

Gareth Ainsworth’s side narrowly escaped relegation to League One last season after finishing just six points above the drop zone.

Ferdinand has been unable to take the club back to the Premier League after their relegation from the top flight in 2015.

Ferdinand said: “This has not been an easy decision. My life is football, I love football and I want to stay in football but I do feel this is the right time for me to step down from my position here.

“Everyone knows how special Queens Park Rangers is to me and it has been a privilege to be back at the club.

“There have been challenging times and I have had to make some very difficult decisions but every decision I have made has been with the best interests of the club at heart.

“I would like to thank the owners whose commitment to this club is incredible. They have such a strong desire to give QPR fans the club they deserve and I will be their biggest supporter as they look to achieve it.

“I also want to thank the fans. I know it has been difficult for them recently but their passion is what makes them so special. If you want to know what support means, look at our last home game. After a tough year, they gave us our biggest attendance of the season. That says everything about the QPR fans.

“This is the club that gave me my chance in football. It will always mean so much to me and I wish the R’s every success in the future.”