QPR's Director of Football Les Ferdinand has hailed the return of Gary Penrice to the club as "a massive appointment".
The former striker returned the club as recruitment consultant earlier this month.
Penrice worked closely with manager Ian Holloway during his first stint as manager, and Ferdinand says that it was Holloway's appointment in November which opened the door to Penrice's return.
Speaking to the club's website, Ferdinand said: "This is a massive appointment.
“Gary has got great experience having working in this area since he retired from football almost 20 years ago.
“I have been trying to get him in for the past couple of years and I thought I had him at the start of this season. He came to one of our early games, and he liked and understood what we were doing and looking to do.
“But Ollie coming in as manager helped us get Gary across the line because he knows him well.
“From Gary’s point of view, he wanted to know the manager’s viewpoint a bit better, so this worked perfectly for all parties.”
Penrice has worked in recruitment and scouting roles for a plethora of clubs including the likes of Leicester, Everton, Stoke and West Brom, but Ferdinand says it was his love for the club which convinced him to return.
He said:“We are delighted he has joined us – and he’s been getting stuck into his work straight away.
“He has an affection for the club and is excited about helping us build something here. It’s a challenge but he understands it.”
Ferdinand also confirmed the of Kevin Reeves as a regional scout for the club.
Speaking of Reeves' appointment, Ferdinand said: "He is another person with a great reputation in this field, so we are starting to get the people in the building that I’ve wanted for a while.
“Their arrivals can only be good for our club.”
