Shaun Wright-Phillips admits he is 'loving' life at Queens Park Rangers after opting to make a fresh start over the summer.
QPR new boy closing on top form after finding regular football
Shaun Wright-Phillips admits he is 'loving' life at Queens Park Rangers after opting to make a fresh start over the summer.
With it clear that opportunities were going to be severely limited at Manchester City this season, the England international accepted a call from Neil Warnock.
The 29-year-old was one of a number of fresh faces to make their way to Loftus Road on transfer deadline day, as QPR sought to assemble a squad capable of holding its own in the Premier League.
Wright-Phillips appears to represent good business, as he has settled quickly and has already put in some eye-catching displays.
He admits that a new lease of life in the capital has been responsible for his flying start, with it important for him to feel like an important member of the squad.
"I am loving it to be honest," he said.
Hurting
"I go home happy and I look forward to training now on Tuesday and the game again.
"You just know how to prepare yourself. It's not so much frustrating, it's just that if you don't know when you are going to play, how do you focus on a game?
"That's part of football, though, and if you are going to be at a big club you have to deal with it. I had it at Chelsea and Man City and you know it's not about yourself, it's a team game.
"If you are hurting inside, you can't really show it because you want the team to do well because that's part of football.
"I was hurting inside because I am a footballer and I want to play but that's just the way it goes sometimes."
On Sunday, Wright-Phillips played in QPR's controversial 1-1 draw with Aston Villa at Loftus Road.
Referee
Richard Dunne's last-gasp own goal helped the 10-man Rs grab a deserved point, having fallen behind to a Barry Bannan penalty after a soft-looking decision.
Alan Hutton then twice handled the ball in the box at the other end, meaning that referee Michael Oliver stole many of the headlines.
Wright Phillips said: "I wouldn't say I was frustrated by the referee's performance. When I was speaking to him, I just said to him 'people normally get second yellow cards for consistent fouling'.
"In this case, they have done five fouls outside the box within 10 minutes and there was not another card shown.
"Then Armand [Traore] does one, OK, it's a yellow card and a red for him but he gets booked straight away.
"If he doesn't get booked for a penalty that I don't think anybody saw, then he stays on the pitch."
