31-year-old Alex Baptiste has joined QPR following his release from Middlesbrough. He has signed a two-year deal with the Championship club.
Baptiste started his career with Mansfield Town. During his time with the Stags, he went out on loan to Tamworth and Burton. Baptiste impressed for Mansfield in the 2007-08 campaign, and he got himself a move to Blackpool when Mansfield were relegated to the Conference National (now named the National League.)
He played 21 games in his first for Blackpool, as they finished 19th in the Championship. Baptiste played 42 games in the 2009-10 season as Blackpool were promoted to the Premier League, under current QPR boss Ian Holloway
In 2013 Baptiste joined Bolton. In his first season with Bolton, he played 39 times as they finished 14th in the Championship. He signed for Middlesbrough in 2015 but didn’t make any appearances for the club. He was out on loan with Preston last season.
Baptiste can play as a centre-back or he can play as a full-back. The 31-year-old said this about his move “I’m very excited to be working with Ian Holloway again,”
“Working with him at Blackpool was the best time of my career. We had an unbelievable team spirit there and he was the biggest part of that.
He continued “QPR is a massive club and I am really looking forward to being part of the squad. “I’m an honest lad who gives 100 per cent. I will give it my all, I will leave it all on the pitch and hopefully it will be good enough.
“I’ve played at Loftus Road before. It’s so tight and the crowd are on top of you, so hopefully, we can keep getting the wins, keep getting the crowds in and make the place a fortress.”
QPR beat Reading 2-0 on Saturday and they play again against Northampton in the Carabao Cup at Loftus Road on Tuesday.
