Former Town boss Jim Magilton has been named the new manager of QPR. Magilton, who was sacked by the Blues in April, has signed a two-year deal at Loftus Road.

News that Magilton was in the running for the QPR job first broke on the TWTD Message Board early last month when he underwent the first of a number of interviews.

Flavio Briatore, chairman of QPR Holdings Ltd, says Magilton beat off significant competition to land the job: "We had an incredibly high number of applicants, but Jim was the stand-out candidate for the role.

"We sat down with him on four separate occasions over the last month to discuss our goals and ambitions and he has really impressed myself, Mr Ecclestone, Mr Mittal and Mr Bhatia with his knowledge, understanding and passion for football.

"He did a very good job at Ipswich Town, playing some fine, attacking football, and he has great ambition to achieve in this next chapter of his managerial career. We are all really looking forward to working with him."

Magilton added: "I'm really looking forward to the challenge of managing this great football club.

"The board are highly ambitious, but they are very realistic at the same time. I have huge ambitions to achieve as a manager though, and our aim is to keep progressing, year after year.

"There is a very strong group of players at the club and, with one or two additions over the summer, we can expect to be in a position to drastically improve upon the eleventh place finish secured last season."

Magilton is expected to name an assistant manager with John Gorman likely to be amongst the candidates having fulfilled a similar role at Portman Road.

Elsewhere, former Town keeper James Pullen has signed a new contract with AFC Wimbledon, who he helped win promotion to the Blue Square Premier last season.

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