Ricketts Reportedly Passes QPR Medical, Will be Signing Three and a Half Year Contract

-
Jamaica Gleazer/Howard Walker - Ricketts moves to QPR
Jamaican goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts is on his way to League Championship team Queens Park Rangers (QPR) after passing a medical yesterday at Loftus Road.
Ricketts, 30, is expected to sign a three-and-a-half year contract today with the West London club which play one division below the premier league - a step up of two divisions from his former club Bradford City. The club is expected to apply to the British Home Office for a work permit on Thursday, and according to his agent Phil Graham, it should not be a problem.
Ricketts, whose contract at Bradfod City expires at the end of the current campaign, is not guaranteed a starting place, but Graham told the Observer yesterday that it is a positive move at this time.
Said Graham: "He won't be guaranteed a starting position, but I know he is capable. He has always wanted to play in the League Championship and I have always believed he has the ability do so."
Ricketts, who joined Bradford City in 2004 and made 118 appearances, while keeping 32 clean sheets, has left fellow Reggae Boy Omar Daley at Bradford, but will team up with another Jamaican, Damion Stewart, at his new club.
QPR, who are currently 17th in the 24-team league, have agreed to an undisclosed fee with the League Two outfit Bradford City for the stopper's services.
Bradford City are struggling in 16th place on 32 points from 26 games.
Last August QPR was bought by Formula One tycoons, Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, but the club continues to struggle and is languishing just six points above the relegation zone.
Ricketts started his club career with Village United before he moved to Bradford City where he served as understudy to Paul Henderson until Henderson left for Leicester City.
Ricketts, at age 21, was a part of Jamaica's squad to the 1998 World Cup in France as the third-string goalkeeper behind Warren Barrett and Aaron Lawrence. Jamaica Observer

UPDATED:
Bradford Official Site - Stuart McCall sad to see Donovan Ricketts go
Donovan Ricketts was finalising a move to QPR on Tuesday after City made it clear he would have to drop his wages to stay.
The Jamaican keeper was in London for talks on Monday and a deal has been agreed for a "minimal" fee.
City have moved quickly to replace Ricketts by snapping up teenage prospect Scott Loach from Watford for the rest of the season. And he will be in goal against Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday night, providing the Rangers deal goes through.
Stuart McCall admitted he was sad to see the back of Ricketts, who played 118 games for City with 32 clean sheets.
"Donovan's had a couple of sticky spells but he's always bounced back and I still think he's a smashing lad," said McCall while talking to the Telegraph & Argus. "He's done well for this club and people should look back and think of the penalty saves and acrobatic moments rather than the negatives.
"We spoke to his agent the same time as we were discussing Omar Daley's new deal. The simple fact was we weren't going to be able to give Donovan the money next season that he's on.
"The agent thought he could get more elsewhere and spoke to QPR, who were interested in taking him before the deadline. We get a minimal fee, something we wouldn't in the summer when he'd be out of contract, and also get Donovan off the wage bill now.
"The deal was all ready to go and we couldn't stand in his way, though we would have stopped it if we hadn't got somebody else in."
Ricketts, who joined City from Jamaican club Village United in August 2004, follows former Valley Parade team-mate Damion Stewart to Loftus Road.
McCall has been tracking Loach for some time. The 19-year-old is third choice at Vicarage Road behind Richard Lee and Mart Poom but has earned rave reviews during a brief loan spell with Morecambe.
McCall said: "He's got a good pedigree and comes highly recommended to us. I spoke to Aidy Boothroyd, their goalkeeping coach Alec Chamberlain and Martin Hunter with his Bradford links and they all said good things about him.
"We wanted to bring Scott in a couple of months ago to put pressure on Donovan but Watford would only let him out if he was playing games.
"He's one we've been monitoring since and we're delighted that he's come in now.
"He went to Stafford early on and did ever so well and had a few games with Morecambe, where I saw him play against Macclesfield the other week and save a penal


Telegraph and Argus/Simon Parker City to receive 'minimal' fee for Ricketts
Donovan Ricketts was finalising a move to QPR today after City made it clear he would have to drop his wages to stay.
The Jamaican keeper was in London for talks yesterday and a deal has been agreed for a "minimal" fee.
City have moved quickly to replace Ricketts by snapping up teenage prospect Scott Loach from Watford for the rest of the season. And he will be in goal against Shrewsbury tonight, providing the Rangers deal goes through.
Stuart McCall admitted he was sad to see the back of Ricketts, who played 118 games for City with 32 clean sheets.
"Donovan's had a couple of sticky spells but he's always bounced back and I still think he's a smashing lad," said McCall. "He's done well for this club and people should look back and think of the penalty saves and acrobatic moments rather than the negatives.
"We spoke to his agent the same time as we were discussing Omar Daley's new deal. The simple fact was we weren't going to be able to give Donovan the money next season that he's on.
"The agent thought he could get more elsewhere and spoke to QPR, who were interested in taking him before the deadline. We get a minimal fee, something we wouldn't in the summer when he'd be out of contract, and also get Donovan off the wage bill now.
"The deal was all ready to go and we couldn't stand in his way, though we would have stopped it if we hadn't got somebody else in."
Ricketts, who joined City from Jamaican club Village United in August 2004, follows former Valley Parade team-mate Damion Stewart to Loftus Road.
McCall has been tracking Loach for some time. The 19-year-old is third choice at Vicarage Road behind Richard Lee and Mart Poom but has earned rave reviews during a brief loan spell with Morecambe.
McCall said: "He's got a good pedigree and comes highly recommended to us. I spoke to Aidy Boothroyd, their goalkeeping coach Alec Chamberlain and Martin Hunter with his Bradford links and they all said good things about him.
"We wanted to bring Scott in a couple of months ago to put pressure on Donovan but Watford would only let him out if he was playing games.
"He's one we've been monitoring since and we're delighted that he's come in now.
"He went to Stafford early on and did ever so well and had a few games with Morecambe, where I saw him play against Macclesfield the other week and save a penalty." Telegraph and Argus




Also "Bradford and QPR Agree Fee for Jamaican Goalkeeper, Donovan Ricketts...Player in Talks with QPR