Rowan Vine joined on a permanent four year contract in the January 2008 transfer window after an impressive loan spell.

DOB - 21/09/82
Height - 6ft 1ins
Weight - 11st 1lbs
Contract - 2012

Vine signed for Rangers, initially on loan, immediately after Mick Harford took over as caretaker manager from John Gregory. Vine had worked with Harford before when the pair were at Luton Town before Harford moved to Colchester and he got a big money move to Birmingham City.

The opportunity for a reunion came as Harford stepped into the breach at QPR and Vine found his first team chances at St Andrews limited following their promotion to the Premiership. He scored on his Rangers debut in a 4-2 defeat at Colchester and followed that up with a terrific display in a 1-0 win at Charlton.

It looked like his time in Hoops was coming to an end when the loan deal expired in December with no apparant hope of making the signing permanent but after a thawing in relations between the two clubs Rangers were able to get their man - for a fee of more than a million pounds.

Never the most prolific goalscorer but a terrific link player, Vine spent time on the wing under Luigi De Canio to great effect - cutting in from wide areas to score terrific goals against Blackpool and Barnsley. Sadly suffered a broken leg in a training ground clash with reserve keeper Matt Pickens before the end of the season and was ruled out for the rest of the campaign and almost the whole of the 2008/09 campaign - the first serious injury of his career. Vine returned to the line up at the very tale end of the campaign when Gareth Ainsworth was in caretaker charge, scoring the first goal of his return in a 3-2 home win against Sheff Wed.

Vine started his career as a junior at Portsmouth but became known through the lower leagues after season long loan spells with Brentford, Colchester and Luton. It soon became apparent that he was going to have to leave Fratten Park to get regular first team football and he signed for Mike Newell's Luton side permanently after playing his part in their promotion from League One while on loan. Newell put together a terrific side at Kenilworth Road but after 18 months in the Championship the finances at the club began to collapse and the playing assets were sold off.

Vine for a £1.5m move to promotion candidates Birmingham City and although the Blues did indeed go on to make the Premiership Vine struggled to break into the side regularly and scored only once. Steve Bruce found no use for him in the top flight and Vine was once again forced to head down the divisions on loan in search of first team football - to QPR's benefit.

Photo: Action Images

Portsmouth Polls