Former Queens Park Rangers centre back Joel Lynch has opened up on his somewhat surprising exit from the club, during an exclusive interview with Football League World. 

The defender made 95 appearances for the West London side between 2016 and 2019 in a career with the R's that was at times disrupted by various injuries.

After joining the club, Lynch would go on to play most of his football under both Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Ian Holloway before eventually being told of his release by Steve McClaren in the final season of his time at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

FLW journalist Chris Thorpe recently spoke to the 33-year-old, as he dissected the manner of his exit from QPR, whilst also reflecting on how he felt after hearing the news that he would be leaving for pastures new.

“I loved my time at QPR, I had a few injuries, my seasons weren’t as productive as what I would have liked them to have been.

“I would have loved to have stayed longer; I was absolutely gutted when I got released. I had an option in my contract to extend it and I thought I was going to have the opportunity to stay in my last year, but I sort of found out late on that I wasn’t going to stay.

“It’s just one of those things. I look at the team they have there now, and I just wish I was able to prove myself but it’s just one of those things that happens in football really.”

Lynch has enjoyed an extremely successful career to date, making over 300 appearances at Championship level whilst also earning an international cap for Wales.

Currently a free agent following his release from Sunderland last year, the defender has most recently been on trial with Bolton Wanderers in League Two.