Rob Hulse wants another crack at the big time

We have lift-off: Rob Hulse, in action against Cardiff last weekend, has been back to his best during QPR’s record run

11 April 2012

Rob Hulse's last taste of the Premier League was a bitter one. He was stricken on the Stamford Bridge turf, looking down at his grotesquely misshapen left leg and thinking that his career was over.

A 50-50 challenge with Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech had left the Sheffield United striker with a double leg break, with Hulse realising the seriousness of the injury when he heard the gasps of the crowd around him. A quick look at the limb was enough to confirm his worst fears.

From establishing himself as a Premier League striker with eight goals that season until his injury in March 2007, Hulse feared that he would never play again, let alone compete at the top level of the English game.

Yet three-and-a-half years on, he is firmly on course to revisit Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford and Emirates. Some had presumed that he would never get back to his best again but Neil Warnock, the 31-year-old's manager at Sheffield United, was not one of them.

As the clock ticked towards the close of the transfer window in August, the Queens Park Rangers boss made an enquiry about Hulse, who was by then at Derby. Much to Warnock's surprise, Derby agreed to sell Hulse for just £500,000 — a bargain for a man who has more than 100 League goals to his name.

So far, the move could not have worked out better. Hulse has recovered from an Achilles tendon injury to take his place in QPR's starting line-up and the club have gone 19 League games unbeaten since the start of the Championship season, one short of matching their record, which was set in 1972.

With Warnock's men five points clear of Cardiff after beating their closest rivals last weekend and eight points clear of third-placed Swansea, QPR are on course to bring Premier League football back to Loftus Road for the first time since 1996.

And, for Hulse, it would be a chance to make up for lost time. "When the injury happened, you do fear that your career might be over," he said.

"It pretty much ruined the season after the injury for me as well and it wasn't until I got to Derby [in the summer of 2008] that I started playing properly again.

"But since then I've had a good two years and now the injury doesn't play on my mind any more.

"Now I just want to get back into the Premier League and have another shot at it. I knew the manager here and I knew and rated all of the players. I just thought that this was a great chance to come along and get QPR back where they belongs."

And if that does happen this season, then Hulse believes his boss will be the primary reason.
A man who has always divided opinion, Warnock's outspoken views have sometimes brought him into conflict with opposing managers and supporters but Hulse believes that the 62-year-old's penchant for an eye-grabbing quote disguises a sharp football brain.

"Tactically the gaffer is very good but he doesn't always get the credit for that because he cracks so many jokes," said Hulse, who has started Rangers' last six games and is likely to lead the line at Hull — who ominously ended the club's record-breaking run in 1972 — on Saturday.

"He creates an excellent work ethic and team spirit and he looks after his players.

"He brought the best out of me when I worked with him at Sheffield United and he was a big part of the reason why I came here.

"And he won't let any of us get carried away with the start we've had to the season. I have been in talented squads before that haven't been promoted but then other squads have been less talented but got promoted through their team-work.

"We just have to knuckle down and keep working to get QPR back into the Premier League."

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