Zesh Rehman on Playing and Not Playing for QPR

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Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times - Zesh isn't going to waste away
IF you're looking for a QPR player who should grasp the concept of recycling better than most, Zesh Rehman's your man.
Rehman's career at Rangers has been littered with ups and downs, so it's no wonder he was chosen to help promote Coca-Cola's 'Talent from Trash' campaign recently....
And Rehman is hoping he can be the beneficiary of Luigi de Canio's own recycling scheme as the new QPR boss sifts through the playing material at his disposal.
Since he signed in a £250,000 move from Fulham 15 months ago, the Pakistan international has been a regular choice, then unable to get in the team, sent out on loan, a regular again - and finally frozen out once more.
"Since I've been here there have been four managers and it's been stop-start, in and out," Rehman reflected. "I don't think I've been able to show my true self, for whatever reason.
"When a new manager comes in, unless he tells you straight away that you're not in his plans, you have to view it as a fresh opportunity and then it's up to him.
"Hopefully, if I get the opportunity, I can show the fans what I can really do. When I left Fulham, Chris Coleman told me that in the next two seasons I needed to play between 50 and 60 games.
"He firmly believed that, once I'd got that bulk of games under my belt, I'd come through.
"I played 35 games last season and six this season so far, so I'm nearly at the target he set.
"In football, you learn from your experiences and mistakes and, if you don't go through that, you're never going to improve as a person or a player. I've got to stay positive the whole time."
The 24-year-old defender was given a boost when de Canio named him as a substitute for Rangers' most recent game at Crystal Palace, even though he only came off the bench for a matter of seconds in stoppage time.
That was Rehman's first appearance since enduring a torrid afternoon at right-back as the Rs were ripped to pieces by West Brom in late September, a game that prompted John Gregory's dismissal as manager.
Gregory puzzled many observers by continuing to select Rehman in that position while ignoring specialist full-backs and the player himself admits he was sometimes confused by the ex-manager's thinking.
"I came here as a centre-back and I've played most of my games there, but if you're in the side, you've got to play wherever the manager wants you to play," said Rehman.
"Sometimes you don't agree with it, but you can't always get what you want. I suppose the manager had to do what he felt was right - he picks the side and you have to respect his decision.
"It was frustrating coming in and out of the side, but I had to deal with it as best I could.
"All the games I played in earlier this season, I don't think the back four was ever the same two games running and that definitely didn't help.
"You need to have an understanding with the people you're playing with and, if you look at the run we were on until recently, the defence was the same throughout and we only conceded one goal in five games.
"We're also scoring more goals, the midfielders are picking up the second balls and the way we've been playing, it's a good time to be in the side now."...Kilburn Times