Queens Park Rangers’ Adel Taarabt pens three-year contract extension
Queens Park Rangers playmaker Adel Taarabt signs a new three-year contract to keep him at the club until 2016
Adel Taarabt has revealed Queens Park Rangers’ “very exciting” future convinced the Morocco midfielder to pen a three-year contract extension at Loftus Road.
The 23-year-old has scored 29 goals in 123 appearances after moving to west London from Tottenham Hotspur to QPR in August 2010.
Taarabt, who will wear the No10 shirt next season and whose new deal runs until 2016, admits the club’s ambition was a big factor in his decision to commit his future to QPR.
“I am very pleased to have signed this new contract,” Taarabt told QPR’s website.
“When I first arrived here I honestly thought it would just be for a short period but I love this club and the people here have really helped me and I am very happy to be here.
“I had a tough start to the season last year, but I worked hard and I have really enjoyed it under Mark Hughes.
“The club is getting bigger and bigger, and with a new training ground and talk of a new stadium it is very exciting.
“In the time I have been here QPR’s ambition has changed. Last year the aim was to stay in the Premier League. We achieved this and now we want to progress and improve.
“Nobody is speaking about what we can achieve but we really want to move up the Premier League table.”
QPR manager Mark Hughes has already handed new contracts to Jamie Mackie and Clint Hill this summer, while also bringing in Samba Diakité, Robert Green, Andy Johnson and Ryan Nelsen on free transfers, plus luring Park Ji-Sung from Manchester United in a £3m deal.
And the 48-year-old, who Taarabt credits with his return to form in the second half of last season, has expressed his delight at tying down one of the club’s key players.
“It is important that we keep good, young players at QPR because that is going to drive what we want to do and Adel is a big part of that,” said Hughes.
“There is no question he can produce moments of skill that not many players can. And you need those game-changing players who can do something unexpected because that can be the difference between winning and losing in tight games.
“Adel had a period here where it was a little bit difficult for him and the club, but he came through that.
“When I came to the club, in my eyes it was a clean slate for him and he had a real opportunity to be part of what we are doing.”
“I have seen a real effort from Adel and the quality of his work last year was good, both in an attacking sense and defensively. He has embraced what we are trying to do.
“He is undoubtedly a talented boy but he understands he has got other aspects of his game which he needs to work on and he has shown a real effort to do that.
“Defending is not a natural part of Adel’s game but he understands that there is an obligation for any player who plays for me to recognise it’s not all about playing when we have the ball in our possession.
“Adel and many of the players here understand that the club is looking to go in a forward direction and they want to be a part of it.” 
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