QPR made clear that Junior Hoilett would have to take a huge pay cut to remain at Loftus Road – but he is thriving at Cardiff City now.
Cardiff City fans could be forgiven for not jumping for joy when Neil Warnock brought Sol Bamba, Marouanne Chamakh and Junior Hoilett to South Wales in October.
However, while Bamba’s impressive campaign will be overshadowed by a very public spat with the veteran manager, and Chamakh unsurprisingly left two months after he arrived without a single goal under his belt, Hoilett has been something of an unmitigated success.
The former Blackburn Rovers prospect may have only scored two goals and produced four assists in 33 Championship fixtures but his lively performances on the wing have made him a bona fide fan favourite at Cardiff.
In fact, a poll conducted by Wales Online shows that 90 per cent of supporters want the club to hand the Canada international a new deal with his contract expiring imminently.
Therefore, it is tempting to wonder whether QPR maybe should have kept him around.
Second chance
Get West London reported last summer that the capital club did offer Hoilett a new deal to remain at Loftus Road – but made clear that he would be earning less than a quarter of his £42,000-a-week wages.
Therefore, this such a substantial pay cut would hardly have ensured Hoilett felt valued at the club. Especially after he revitalised his stuttering career with some fine performances under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink last term.
However, with Ian Holloway’s side in need of added creativity, news that Hoilett has been a huge hit in South Wales adds a little insult to the injury.
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