Hughes pays tribute to QPR icon McDonald

Recent QPR signing Aaron Hughes has paid tribute to Alan McDonald, calling the Loftus Road legend “a great player and great leader.”

McDonald, who died suddenly in June 2012, aged 48, spent 17 years at Rangers and played 52 times for his country.

He was an inspirational figure for the likes of Hughes who followed in his footsteps in the Northern Ireland side, where McDonald also had a spell as part of the coaching set-up.

Hughes, who could make his QPR debut against Derby on Monday, said: “Being from Northern Ireland I’m very aware of what he did here.

“I missed playing with him by a few years but I knew him because he did a lot of work with the first team and also the Under-21s.

“He was a great character, a great player and great leader. He was a great centre-half – so strong and aggressive.

“If I could come here and perform anything like he did, I’d be doing well.”

Hughes, 34, was signed from neighbours Fulham before last week’s transfer deadline because of Rangers’ injury problems at the back.

He considers himself a central defender but has also spent much of his career at right-back, where his new club need cover for the injured Danny Simpson.

“I’m a centre-back. That’s my position. But I had a couple of years at Aston Villa as a right-back and I’ve played there for the national team,” Hughes explained.

“Right-back is a position I’m familiar with, so wherever I’m asked to play I’ll just play as best I can.”

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