QPR swooped to sign Newcastle United right back Peter Ramage on a free transfer when his contract expired in the summer of 2008.

DOB - 22/11/1983
Height – 6ft 1in
Weight – 12st
Contract - 2011

Peter Ramage joined QPR on a free transfer in the summer of 2008 bringing to an end a 13 year association with his boyhood club Newcastle United.

Ramage signed on at St James Park aged just 11 after impressing scouts playing for his boys team Cramlington Juniors. He started his early football life as a striker but, as ever, there were plenty of other young boys who wanted to play in attack and Peter switched to defence to give himself more of a chance of making it in the sport.

In Newcastle's impressive academy set up he was coached by Alan Irvine, now Preston manager, and Peter Beardsley before graduating to the reserve set up. In 2003 he won the Jackie Milburn Trophy as the outstanding rising talent in north east football and he went on to make his debut for Newcastle’s first team in a 2005 UEFA cup tie against Olympiakos. He became a first team regular during the 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons, primarily at right back despite coming through the ranks as a centre half.

Both Graham Sounness and Glenn Roeder were big fans of the youngster but Sam Allardyce didn’t rate him so highly and after falling down the pecking order under the former Bolton manager at the start of the 07/08 season Ramage suffered a bad knee injury that kept him out for the best part of a year. By the time he regained his fitness Allardyce had been replaced by Kevin Keegan and although he offered Ramage a new contract at the end of the season he couldn’t guarantee a first team place for him and so a free transfer to QPR, who fought off interest from Glenn Roeder at Norwich, became the first move of his career.

He signed a three year contract at Loftus Road and immediately slotted into the right side of Iain Dowie's defence at the start of the 2008/09 season. Ramage became a target for the infamous Loftu Road boo-boys during the first half of the season when he combined defensive errors with poor distribution. Injury ruled him out of the initial games in 2009 but he returned during a nine game losing run towards the end of Paulo Sousa's reign and won plaudits for improved performances and high effort level. Ramage is a pretty limited footballer, but he will always give 100% for the cause and can never be accused of lacking in effort. A likeable member of the team, if not a particularly good one.

Ramage’s father Iain played rugby union to a high standard before becoming a referee in the sport – he was selected as Scotland's top referee for the World Cup in 2003. Ramage is also eligible to represent Scotland but he has yet to win international honours either north or south of the border.

Photo: Action Images

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