Sunderland striker Danny Graham has opened up on a failed move to Queens Park Rangers, before his initial move to Swansea City back in 2011.
Once of Watford, Middlesbrough, Hull City, Wolves and Blackburn, Graham is one of the Football League’s most travelled players.
He made his best name at Blackburn having spent five seasons prior to this ongoing one. He was released in the summer, where he returned to the Stadium of Light.
The 35-year-old recently spoke to Gazette Live, and he spoke of Neil Warnock who was then QPR manager:
“Neil Warnock came in for me at QPR and Roy Hodgson at West Brom. I met them that summer first. But Swansea were in the play-offs so I had to wait until that was finished.”
Graham left Watford for Swansea ahead of the 2011/12 season.
“The meeting with Warnock was carnage,” he continued. “He’s off it. He was telling me his story about Adel Taarabt and how he’d made him captain. A few lads had kicked off about it because apparently he used to only train when he felt like it and stuff.
“But Warnock had told them to back him and let him get on with it because Taarabt would get them to the Premier League. Sure enough, he was unbelievable that year when they got promoted.
READ: Ex-Stoke, Boro man linked with Wednesday ‘agrees’ to join overseas club
“He told me the lads then went in at the end of the season and thanked him for what he’d done!
“He was sound, to be fair, Warnock. You could tell he was all for the lads. He told me if I didn’t want to play in reserve games that was fine. You just had to look after him by doing your business when it mattered. He seemed a bit wild.”
Now Boro boss, Warnock is arguably the Football League’s most successful and most travelled manager.
QPR was one of his success stories having won the Championship title in 2011, with Taarabt scooping the Football League Player of the Year award.
Warnock meanwhile has gone on to have spells in charge of Leeds United and Crystal Palace, a brief stint back at QPR and one at Rotherham, before getting Cardiff promoted.
Having steered Boro away from relegation last time round he now has them eyeing promotion to the Premier League – it’d be Warnock’s fourth from the Championship.
