Gareth Ainsworth is now QPR's longest serving player and has taken caretaker charge of the team on two occasions as he continues to study for coaching badges.

DOB - 10/05/1973
Height - 5ft 10ins
Weight - 12st 5lbs
Contract - 2008

Self proclaimed 'Wild Thing' whose all or nothing playing style has made him a cult figure at Loftus Road.

Ainsworth made a tremendous start to his QPR career after signing on a free transfer from Cardiff in 2004. He scored a hat full of goals in pre-season and was off the mark within seven minutes of his debut against Blackpool. By the end of the match he'd picked up a classy second goal and a bottle of bubbly for his all action performance. He continued the trend, bagging one three days later at Cheltenham and then two rippers at Rushden and Diamonds on August Bank Holiday 2004. The first goal won the club's goal of the season award.

After scoring further goals against Barnsley and Hartlepool at Loftus Road the winger suffered from a number of niggling injuries and though he finished the campaign on the field at Hillsborough where QPR were promoted, he never quite hit the heights of August and September again.

In the Championship Ainsworth again started like a train, bagging the opening goal of the season after four minutes against Rotherham but again suffered from numerous injuries and endured a stop start campaign. He was in flying form for the 3-1 win over Watford at Loftus Road but an evil challenge on him by Michael Keane at Rotherham ended his season early.

Gareth was very unfortunate to be beaten to the Player of the Season award by Danny Shittu in 2005/06 after his best campaign since joining Rangers. He scored nine goals, joint best in the team with Nygaard, and gave his all for the cause.

He had some terrible luck with injuries in 06/07 but still made 21 appearances, scoring one goal away at Preston. His fighting spirit played a major part in our battle against the drop and the sight of him trying to run off a spiral fracture of his leg in a home game against Luton will live long in the memory.

That nasty leg injury meant Gareth was missing for the start of the 2007/08 season and the team struggled in his absence. He returned with an excellent display in a home draw against Watford and was the only one to come out of the 5-1 defeat at West Brom with any credit, and a goal to his name, a week later. Luigi De Canio used him sparingly on the pitch but as the season wore on he started to have more and more influence off the pitch. As club captain he worked as a sort of assistant manager, bridging the language barrier between De Canio and the players. Climbed off the bench to score one and set another up in a remarkable injury time comebck from two goals down against Preston at Loftus Road in April.

Ainsworth focussed solely on coaching in 2008/09, taking caretaker charge of the team on two occasions and overseeing some memroable victorries including a 1-0 home victory against Birmingham in the snow and a 3-2 win from two goals down against Sheffield Wednesday. Ainsworth has one year of his contract remaining for 2009/10 but with Jim Magilton bringing in John Gorman to assist him it remains uncertain whether Ainsworth, who failed to make a first team appearance in 2008/09, has a future at Loftus Road. Speculation has linked him with a loan move into the lower leagues while he studies for his coaching badges but with many fans sceptical over the appointment of Magilton he would do well to keep the ever popular Ainsworth on board.

Gareth started his career with Preston before moving to Lincoln City and then Port Vale where he really made his name. With Ainsworth down the right and Guppy down the left Vale were an entertainment machine and it wasn't long before the Premiership came calling. Guppy moved to Leicester, Ainsworth to Wimbledon for £2 million. Unfortunately his time there was interrupted by injury and, although he did manage to star in a 5-0 demolition of QPR at Selhurst Park, he soon moved on to Cardiff, Walsall on loan, and then QPR.

Photo: Action Images

Leeds United Polls