-
Essex Gazette - Tough choice for Hogan
By Jonathan Waldron
"Hogan Ephraim today revealed he found it very, very hard' to turn down a return to Layer Road.
Colchester United manager Geraint Williams was keen to bring the West Ham United youngster back to north Essex, following his impressive loan spell with the club last season.
Ephraim snubbed the U's to join their Coca-Cola Championship rivals Queens Park Rangers on a one-month loan and made his debut for the west London club on Saturday. However, he insisted it was a very tough decision to reject Colchester's overtures - and one that he did not make lightly.
Ephraim told the Gazette: "It was a very tough decision and it was very, very hard turning Colchester down.
"They are a team going places and the new chairman is very ambitious.
"The manager was unreal last season and I was able to talk to him about anything, not just football.
"Under him and Mick Harford, I improved both as a footballer and as a person and I am very grateful for the opportunity they gave me." Essex Gazette
And reposting,
Hogan Ephraim Hoping For Extended QPR Loan (and Choosing QPR Over Other Teams)-
Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times - Hogan hoping for a longer stay
HOGAN Ephraim has spent just a matter of days at QPR - but the young striker is already angling for an extended stay.
Ephraim has joined the Rs on a month's loan from West Ham and hopes he can convince John Gregory to keep him for longer before the August transfer window closes.
The 19-year-old north Londoner told the Times: "I think it's just a case of whether West Ham sign another player in my position - if they do, then the loan might be extended to January.
"If not, maybe I'd have to go back, but I've enjoyed it here so far. Last Thursday, I had to make a decision on where I wanted to go and there were three other Championship clubs, but I chose QPR.
"Then I came down on the Friday and I saw enough in that first training session to know it was the right decision - we had an eight-a-side and the quality was unbelievable."
Ephraim emerged through the Hammers' youth and reserve teams to make his full debut in a Carling Cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday two years ago, but further first-team action has eluded him since then.
Last season, he was loaned to Colchester for six months, where he trained under Geraint Williams and Mick Harford and featured 21 times, mostly as substitute.
The presence of Harford, now Gregory's number two at Loftus Road, was a significant factor in Ephraim's move to Rangers and he added: "I was with Mick last year and the way I matured as a player and a person was there for all to see.
"Hopefully with him and the gaffer I can do the same this season. From speaking to them, it's clear they've got some good plans and I wanted to be part of that.
"I was pleased with my debut at Bristol City - we played well and were unlucky not to win. We could have scored four or five goals on another day, I thought.
"But we showed great character to come back and equalise in the last minute. If we keep going like that, we'll win many more games than we lose and do very well this year."
Although Gregory has labelled Ephraim as a wide midfielder who can play up front, he has been spent most of his career to date as a forward player.
Effectively, he is - at least during this initial month - a replacement for Ben Sahar, who was taken ill just before the game at Ashton Gate and is now sidelined after an appendix operation.
But, while Sahar has been earmarked as a future Chelsea star, Ephraim acknowledges that his long-term prospects at Upton Park look dim after Eggert Magnusson's summer spending spree.
"At the moment it looks hard," Ephraim admitted. "The club are aiming for the top four in the next three to four years and, when you're doing that, you're going to buy players.
"If people like Freddie Ljungberg and Craig Bellamy become available and you've got money, you've got to go for them. I'll just keep trying my best and if the chance comes along, it comes along. Kilburn Times
Welcome to QPR REPORT - A completely unofficial and unaffiliated fan site focusing on G-d's Chosen Team, Queen's Park Rangers (QPR) FC. (Visit also QPR Report Messageboard and Follow on Twitter.) QPR Report accepts no sponsorship, advertising or financial contributions. In 2008, QPR Report was named as one of the top two blogs in the Football League
QPR Report Twitter Feed
Blog Archive
-
▼
2007
(1727)
-
▼
August
(166)
- Ex-QPRs Signing for New Clubs: Santos and Cochrane
- Ian Holloway on Martin Allen Sacking...Ray Jones D...
- QPR Reportedy Sign Mikele Leigertwood for around £...
- "After a Final Round of Talks"...Briatore & Eccles...
- After Many Months QPR's Tony Roberts Finally No Lo...
- Additional Report but Not Yet an Announcement
- Ex-QPR Paul Furlong Still Enjoying His Football
- Further Board Departures
- QPR International Call Ups
- QPR Signings & Attempted Signings: Sheff Ut's Mike...
- Bircham, Curtis and Paul Parker on Ray Jones (Birc...
- Looking to Saturday
- Eccelstone and Briatore - Profiles
- Ecclestone and Briatore's QPR Purchase
- Bernie Ecclestone on Investing in QPR
- QPR Takeover - Ecclestone and Briatore in Joint Co...
- Ray Jones Remembered by Joe Gallen, Gary Waddock, ...
- Ray Jones Update: Minute of Applause...FIFA's Sepp...
- Dexter Blackstock on Being in the U-21 Squad and Q...
- Nostalgia: 40 Years Ago Victory and Topped Divisio...
- Local Account of the Crash and All the Victims
- Bernie Ecclestone Reportedly Confirms Has Discusse...
- Former QPR Youth Coach Joe Gallen Remembers and Ta...
- Reported Briatore Philosophy re Running QPR
- Colchester Remember Nearly Signing Ray Jones As Y...
- Colchester Remember Nearly Signing Ray Jones As Y...
- QPR Remember and Honour Ray Jones - Retire His #31...
- PFA Tribute to QPR's Ray Jones
- Ex-QPR: Dichio Happy in North America...Cochrane ...
- QPR Birhdays: Ray Jones (RIP)...Jamie Cureton....D...
- Nardiello Again in the Welsh Squad
- Tributes and Kind Words Pour In...No Date Yet for ...
- QPR's Briatore Takeover - One Supposedly Involved
- Ray Jones RIP- Additional Tributes, Reports, Memories
- Expressions of Condolences
- QPR Player Ray Jones Killed in Car Crash
- Briatore and QPR - Further Details on Takeover Sta...
- The Potential QPR Takeover - Who's Possibly Involved
- Burnley Preview QPR...QPR Preview Burnley...
- QPR's Tommy Doherty Still Wanted by Wycombe
- Briatore Confirms QPR Interest...But Denies QPR Deal
- Briatore Earlier Today - No QPR Deal Completed
- Briatore to Make Statement on QPR
- Statement by QPR Holdings re "Possible Offer"
- QPR Flashback: One Year Mackrell in...Two Years Po...
- QPR Snippets
- Gareth Ainsworth on Takeover, Cardiff Loss and Loo...
- re Briatore QPR Buy and Avoiding Administration
- Mancienne Makes His England U-21 Debut...Blackstoc...
- Birthdays for QPR's Lee Camp and Marcus Bignot
- Takeover Update - Complete Within 24 Hours
- Teams of the Week: Three Ex-QPR Playes (and Two Ca...
- Ex-QPR Update: Iorfa Unhappy...Ian Watson Bowling....
- QPR's (Chelsea's) Mancienne Talks About Takeover, ...
- QPR One of Clubs to Receive FA Warning Letter Over...
- QPR Takeover Update
- The QPR Takeover: Further Details
- Snippets: Ian Holloway Still Pursuing Scott Sinclair
- QPR Board Changes Now in The Media
- QPR Holdings Board of Directors Resigns as Prepara...
- Next Up: QPR at Burnley
- QPR Apologize for QPR World Service
- Additional Gregory Comment - "what really disappoi...
- Ex-QPR Birthdays...Carlisle Praised...Johnson Free...
- QPR vs Cardiff - Additional Reports...Mancienne Co...
- Various Clubs (Not QPR) Apologize for/Explain Prob...
- How Ex-QPRs Did on Saturday
- Flavio's Briatore QPR Takeover Reportedly Will Bel...
- QPR's Loss to Cardiff - Harsh Match Reports and Co...
- QPR 0-2 Cardiff Reports and Comments
- QPR's Championship Prospects This Season - A Detai...
- An "Intro/Guide" to QPR's Prospective New Owner Fl...
- Briatore Deal Reportedly Expected to be Without An...
- QPR Takeover...Future Ground Move Possible
- QPR Snippets: Hogan Ephraim on QPR and Colchester
- QPR vs Cardiff: No Fowler or Hasselbaink
- Flashback - QPR Games On This Day..Opening Game Ag...
- QPR Chairman Says QPR Saved! Briatore to Take Over
- QPR Directors Change? Nothing Announced ...But one...
- Analysis of the Paladini/Caliendo "Dispute" and Br...
- Ex-QPR Clarke Carlisle Joins Burnley From Watford
- Even AP... "[QPR] Queens Park Rangers may be force...
- "Another week of chaos at QPR..."
- Ex-QPR Danny Shittu Called up by Nigeria...Current...
- Jake Cole Gets Extended Contract...Ainsworth on Br...
- Blackstock and Mancienne in England U-21 Squad
- QPR Chairman Warns of Administration in Two Weeks
- Ex-QPR Danny Dichio...Hero of MLS Toronto FC
- Hogan Ephraim Hoping For Extended QPR Loan (and Ch...
- Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times Briefly re Paladini/Calien...
- QPR Manager John Gregory Defends Team Selection Vs...
- Former QPR Chairman Bill Power Speaks Out and Pose...
- QPR1st Statement on "No Sale" Club Statement
- Flashback 20 Years: Bulstrode's QPR Started with W...
- Nick Ward Returns to the Australia Squad
- QPR's Orient Defeat - Additional Reports
- Orient Knock QPR Out of the Carling Cup
- The "QPR Not For Sale" Statement Picked up By the ...
- QPR Holdings Chairman, Antonio Caliendo "The Club ...
- Crystal Palace Still Wants QPR's (West Ham's!) Hog...
-
▼
August
(166)