In hindsight, QPR should never have let go of these 4 ex-academy players | OneFootball

It looks set to be an important campaign for QPR as they aim to forget last season and improve upon their 20th placed finish under Gareth Ainsworth.

Their season collapsed in fairly dramatic circumstances, having started well under Michael Beale, who was leading a promotion charge at Loftus Road before he was poached by Scottish giants Rangers prior to the World Cup.

Neil Critchley was then placed in charge in his absence, but the team’s form continued to spiral, leading to yet another managerial change for the club.

That came in the form of Ainsworth, who departed Wycombe Wanderers after 11 years as the club's manager to take the managerial hotseat and guide QPR to safety.

He has managed the club since February and took charge of 13 games last term, winning three and drawing a further two.

However, changes have been aplenty in West London, with many key players departing the club already this summer, causing amongst the fanbase.

QPR's captain, Stefan Johansen, has left the club alongside Rob Dickie, Luke Amos, Chris Martin, Olamide Shodipo, first-choice goalkeeper Seny Dieng, and more.

They did, however, hang onto Ilias Chair and Chris Willock, which has been the cause for some optimism, too.

As has their start to the season, with two wins and three defeats in five games showing signs of life at Loftus Road, perhaps.

One shining light within those games has been young star Sinclair Armstrong, but who are some of the other academy products over the years?

The QPR academy is famed for producing talent, and with that in mind, we look at four players that they should never have let go of in hindsight.

Josh Bowler

A player who was definitely let go of too early, having been on the books of QPR as a teenager, is Josh Bowler

The winger has had a decent career at second tier level for the likes of Blackpool and Cardiff City so far. He was let go of Fulham at the age of 12, and Aldershot at 14, before QPR gave him his chance.

Bowler would play just once for his new side before Premier League side Everton snapped him up. The quality he's shown in the second tier will have left the West Londoners thinking 'what if'.

Jordan Zemura

Zemura is another player let go of far too early, when he hadn’t yet had the chance to prove his credentials and potential.

The left-back was on QPR’s books from 2006-2011 but left to join Charlton Athletic in an eight-year spell in their academy. However, it would be at his next club AFC Bournemouth where he would be handed his chance.

Zemura took it, amassing 61 games before a move to Udinese this summer. He is now playing top-flight football in Italy at the age of just 23. He could’ve been worth millions to the R's.

Josh Laurent

Much like Bowler, Laurent was let go of too early, with the defensive-midfielder carving out a solid career as a Championship player.

The 28-year-old is now plying his trade with Stoke City and has over 120 appearances for the likes of them and Reading.

He’s not spectacular but was certainly someone who needed longer than being cast aside for rivals Brentford at the age of just 20 after no appearances for QPR.

Peter Crouch

One of the highest profile academy products in the club’s history, QPR twice had the chance to keep Crouch, and would surely have done so, had they known what he would become.

The 42-year-old is long since retired but scored over 100 Premier League goals, and more with his head than any other player.

He was on the books at Loftus Road from 1994-95 but joined Tottenham Hotspur as a boy, who would eventually allow him to return to QPR. He scored 12 goals in 47 games but they were forced to sell after relegation and he was quickly snapped up by Portsmouth.

The striker would go on to play for the likes of Spurs and Liverpool at the top end of English football, as well as for England at international tournaments, leaving R's fans pondering what could've been.