Whoever comes in as new Queen’s Park Rangers boss will have a clear brief of how to drag the Hoops up the table: improve the defence.

First on the shopping list should be Hearts centre-back Christophe Berra. The 33-year-old Scottish international has plenty of Championship experience, having enjoyed stints at Ipswich and Wolves, and would had some steel to the QPR defence.

Despite outscoring play-off contenders like Preston and Millwall, the west Londoners found themselves languishing in the lower end of mid-table. Signing Berra, currently captaining Hearts, would suggest that the club is serious about sorting out their defensive shortcomings.

The defender scooped both the Players’ Player of the Year and Fans’ Player of the Year awards last month. This came after he had marshalled the Heart’s defence to being the third sternest in the Scottish Premiership, with just 39 goals conceded in 38 games.

His strength in the air combined with his ability to break up play proved invaluable and are well suited to the Championship. This has been proved at his previous clubs. His spell at Wolves gave him Premier League experience, whilst his time at Ipswich saw him win the Supporters' Player of the Season award in the 2013-14 season. It may be that he is keen to stay in Scotland, but, if a big enough name arrives at the helm of Loftus Road, he could very well be convinced to venture south of the border once more.