Ipswich Town loanee DJ Campbell has not given up hope

Ipswich Town loanee DJ Campbell has not given up hope of making his ‘dream move’ to QPR work as manager Mark Hughes leaves the door open
By Stuart Watson
Friday, October 12, 2012
11:09 AM



IPSWICH Town loanee striker DJ Campbell has not given up hope of becoming a regular at boyhood club QPR just as manager Mark Hughes leaves the door open for a return.


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The 30-year-old grew up in north London supporting the Hoops and played for them between the ages of six and 16.

He admits it was a ‘dream move’ to sign for the Premier League club in the summer of 2011 – moving from Blackpool for a £1.2m fee – but an rare injury-hit campaign meant he was only able to make two league starts at Loftus Road.

Behind the likes of Bobby Zamore, Djibril Cisse, Andy Johnson and Jamie Mackie in the pecking order, Campbell was left out of Mark Hughes’ 25-man squad for the first half of this season.

Subsequently he joined Ipswich Town on a three-month loan deal last week – turning down the chance to rejoin former club Blackpool – and scored in an encouraging Blues debut, inadvertently netting with his hands in Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to Cardiff.

Campbell said: “QPR are the club I supported as a boy. I used to go and watch them play.

“It was a dream move for me to go back home and play for the club I supported and played for when I was six until six – not a lot of people know that.

“It was always in my mind to go back one day, I was fortunate to get there, but for whatever reason it hasn’t worked out so far. It has been frustrating, but that’s football and you just have to get on with it as a professional.

“I always keep my mind open. I may end up staying at Ipswich, QPR might want me back – we’ll have to wait and see. You never know what’s around the corner.”

With Andy Johnson looking to be ruled out for the season at QPR, manager Hughes told the Fulham Chronicle: “We’re looking at all our options. Obviously DJ’s not played for us but circumstances change very quickly in football and fortunes of players and clubs change very quickly. DJ needs to go and get some games, but you never say never in this game.”

Asked whether he felt Hughes might give him a chance, he continued: “It’s a bit of a strange one really because he came in when I was injured so he hasn’t really seen me play. He has obviously seen me play in previous seasons but actually playing for him he hasn’t really seen me.

“So I don’t know if I’m honest what the situation is with QPR, whether they want me back in January or to be in the 25. I haven’t got a clue.

“There are rumours that they do but I haven’t actually spoken to the gaffer about it and I just want to concentrate on getting fit and playing and doing my best for Ipswich really. That’s all here and there for me really. I will worry about that when my loan period ends.

“Football is a funny game and you never know what’s round the corner. All I can do is train hard and do the best for Ipswich and take it from there.”

He added: “Last year I had a lot of injuries but I have never really been injured before in my career. I went from scoring 13 Premier League goals for Blackpool to not playing at all last year. I started two games and maybe a handful of substitute appearances which is not good enough for the pressure I put on myself.

“It is hard when you are injured and can’t do anything about it and that’s the way it was last year for me. It was very frustrating, especially after not being injured for all my career. I’ve always been fit, I’ve always looked after myself, so it was tough.

“That’s behind me now but now and I’m fit and raring to go. I would like to say that I will give Ipswich a good three months – or even more – and then you never know. Hopefully it will be a good loan spell.”

 

must be worth putting him in the 25 in january?

 

Score a lot of goals for Ipswich first.

 

Get him in the 25 man squad - could be a great alternative to AJ and plays differently to Cisse.

 

He would be on the bench now ahead of Hogan who will only play if half the squad are taken out with a virus.

We are paying the price for signing all those midfielders while being weak up front and at the back. Something a lot of us said while the window was still open.

 

Me and you for two

 

....and half of those midfielders get routinely slated!

 

I did, but I'm not repeating it for 1 more game. fingers crossed I wont need to.