Rangel wants to play on at QPR for another year

Angel Rangel is keen to put a potential coaching career on hold and continue playing for QPR for another year.

The veteran defender’s contract expires this summer and Rangers hold an option to extend it by 12 months. Rangel, 37, is hoping they do so.

The coronavirus outbreak means the issue of his future is very much on hold.

And the suspension of matches came just as Rangel was enjoying a run in the Rangers side following a spell hampered by injury problems.

It also came after QPR had moved closer to the play-off places – if you fancy a bet on who’ll win promotion check all bet365 bonus codes.

“I definitely would like to stay for another season at QPR, I’ve made that very clear recently,” Rangel says.

“However, we haven’t had any sort of discussions about it.

“I feel this Covid-19 situation has come at the worst possible time for me in a football sense.

“I’ve had a few little injuries during the season and now that I’ve finally kept myself fit I got a decent run of games in the team and at the same time the team has had a great run of form.

“I felt I had a chance to extend for another season but now everything is on standby and the priority is everyone’s health.

“By the way, it’s never easy to get a new contract at 37, but hopefully I’ve shown enough this season to earn that.”

Coaching role?

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Rangel, who spent 11 years at Swansea prior to joining QPR in 2018, would like to enter coaching when he eventually retires from playing.

So, given that the Catalan is keen to play on and already acts as a mentor for younger players, would he be interested in a player-coach role?

In a word: no.

“Coaching is a possibility considering I would like to stay in the football business after my playing career,” he explains.

“Player-coach is something I have been offered before, but I don’t like the idea.

“You are either a player or a coach. How can you be both?

“Which dressing room are you in? Do you wear the players’ gear with the numbers, or the coaching staff’s with the initials?

“For me it’s important to fully focus on one role and make sure to do it as well as I can.

“I also try to help other players on and off the pitch with my experience.

“I am far from a coach at the club but I always try to help the younger ones improve their game and understanding of it.”

Staying positive

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Rangel’s immediate concern is the coronavirus pandemic.

The QPR training ground has been closed, with players and staff instructed to stay at home.

And the situation in Rangel’s native Spain is increasingly dire.

“In a difficult situation like this I always try to find the positives,” he says.

“Obviously the negatives are being out of our training-ground routine, the socialising aspect which I think is very important.

“The competition day in day out, the build up to the games and the actual games on a Saturday is what we live for.

“Also, having my whole family back in Catalonia has been a bit worrying considering how quickly the situation has worsened in Spain.

“But fortunately every one of my family members are safe and healthy.

“Looking at the positives, at least I am back with my wife and kids which is making the whole situation a lot easier and enjoyable but also very busy. Home life is literally non-stop!

“I do my fitness sessions at 7-7.30am every day, so I have enough time for my breakfast afterwards and my wife and I can sit down with the kids at 9am to home-school them.

“We are trying to keep their school routines as well as we can. The rest of the home life is like everyone else’s I guess; the cooking, the cleaning, the playing in the garden with the kids, the gardening and the rest of the DIY activities.

“We look to keep everyone in the household busy, productive and having fun. It’s working so far – but only two weeks in.”

QPR for the play-offs?

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Matches were suspended with QPR unbeaten in six matches and having moved to within six points of the play-off places.

There are now serious doubts over how, or even whether, the season will be concluded.

Rangel says: “We were realistic in a way that we know in the Championship, after a couple of wins, we see ourselves climbing up the table.

“That gives you the hope and belief that you can achieve it (the play-offs).

“But realistically we also know that consistency is everything and it has happened a couple of times this season where we put ourselves in a great position and then we haven’t won in three or four matches and that chance to stay at the top end of the table is gone.

“Hopefully like life, football will be back to normality soon and we can see how the end of the season pans out for us.”

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