Alex McCarthy is the keeper QPR didn’t need - not that they knew it at the time.

The plan was that 35-year-old Rob Green would be put out to football’s pasture and the man Rs bought from Reading last summer for £3 million would take over between the sticks.

Things didn’t go quite according to plan.

By his own admission, Green had the season of his life to earn a recall to the England fold for the first time in three years.

McCarthy was frequently first man out of the dressing room after games slipping unnoticed past waiting media.

Now Crystal Palace want to end his year’s torment and give the ‘frustrated’ keeper a lease of life on the south side of the river.

Three of a kind: England's Tom Heaton, Joe Hart and Robert Green (R) training

“It has been a very frustrating season to go from playing to not getting as much game time as I would have liked," McCarthy said.

“I just want to be playing football. That is my main priority next season, as I just want to be playing.”

He added: “Rob never gets injured and he is always in good form so I can’t moan too much.

“That is why he has had such a good career because he is such a steady goalkeeper.”

Man on the sidelines: Alex McCarthy (L) and Nedum Onuoha

A reported bid of £3.5m would trigger a release clause in McCarthy’s contract and hand him the chance of a return to the Premier League.

“I don’t really know where it (Palace’s interest) is going to go until we get back to England,” said head coach Chris Ramsey at the weekend as the squad returned from Italy.

“Obviously Alex is a very good keeper and we see him as part of our future plans. But finances and economics sometimes dictate what happens,” he added.

McCarthy has made just four first-team appearances.

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