Near enough every season, Wycombe Wanderers take a player or two on-loan from Queens Park Rangers. But what’s the relationship here, and why is it beneficial to the West Londoners?

The story of League One so far is Wycombe Wanderers and their unprecedented start to the season. The English Football League’s longest serving manager Gareth Ainsworth is working wonders at Wycombe, with his team level on points with leaders Ipswich Town.

They’ve lost just one league game all season and under the former QPR midfielder, are beginning to look like serious contenders for promotion to the Championship.

A 2-1 win away at MK Dons in the EFL Trophy last night was Wycombe’s first in the tournament this season, and saw the return of QPR-loanee Paul Smyth. The Northern Irishman joined the club on a season-long loan in the summer and after scoring on his debut, made his first appearance in three months last night after a muscle injury.

He’s one of two QPR youngsters on-loan at the club this season, along with Giles Phillips - winger David Wheeler also joined the club from QPR on a free transfer in the summer.

It follows a trend that noticeable the past few years, QPR loaning their younger talents to the Buckinghamshire club - Ebere Eze has spent time there in the past, whilst last season it was Matt Ingram and Charlie Owens who had loan-spells there.

An unlikely pairing in the Football League, but it’s no doubt down to Ainsworth’s history with QPR. The 46-year-old played over 150 games for the club between 2003 and 2010, and has managed them on a caretaker basis on two separate occasions.

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A legend at QPR and often linked to the job when vacant, Ainsworth and the club still maintain a good relationship in the game. QPR and current manager Mark Warburton will see their relationship with Wycombe as a positive. 

They act like a feeder club, sort of similar to how a lot of European teams have ‘B’ or ‘Young’ sides - take Jong Ajax for example (literally 'Young Ajax') - Ajax’s second-side infamous for producing some of the continents best youngsters, and providing a pool of talent for the first-team.

Relationships like these in football today are few and far between, and both parties can count themselves lucky to have it. Wycombe get these exciting, hungry young players from QPR on-loan, and QPR have a club and a manager whom they can rely on to develop them.