8. Marc Bircham

Marc Bircham was signed by Ian Holloway in the summer of 2002 on a free transfer.

Marc is a tough tackling midfield player who has been compared to Gary Waddock and he turned down a move to the Premiership to join QPR.

Millwall fan Joe Broadfoot had this to say about the midfielder when he left Millwall to join QPR "I'm really sad to see Bircham go. He's the closest thing we've got to a playmaker, as his passing has improved quite a bit. He's extremely influential. He's 100% committed to the cause, and has been accused in the past of being a 'headless chicken'. But that's only because he wants to win every ball."

"His commitment has led to injuries that has kept him out the team, and he's not been too lucky in that respect. remember him crunching his ankle at Bury, and he's never been the same fitness-wise since, some would say. He's even got his own song at the Den: "They've got di Canio, we've got Marc Birchio"...but to be fair, it never really took off. "

"The fans are divided about Bircham. He's got his fair share of detractors, but then most players have at Millwall, as we're generally a moaning bunch. Personally I think he's a huge loss. I've seen him come on as sub and change games, not with skill but with attitude. "

So why was such a talented and sought after player been released by Millwall? Well Millwall fan Joe Broadfoot explains why: "He was our third choice central midfielder. If we played 3-5-2 he'd be a regular, but as we prefer to play a right footer (Tim Cahill) alongside a left footer (Dave Livermore) in a two-man central midfield, he was destined to spend most of the season on the bench."

"Cahill's goals ensured he'd usually be first choice, but he was dropped once a couple of season's ago after a poor run of form." "Livermore is Millwall's most improved player, and when he's missing the Lions go to pieces...the 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Pompey proved that.

He's also the strongest tackler at the club and one of the fittest, so is unlikely to be dropped." "So that means Bircham was destined to sit on the bench, and quite honestly he deserves a lot more than that." "We'll really miss him. He's a tremendous character, very amusing too...just the sort of bloke you want: cracking jokes in the dressing room to lighten the atmosphere and then geeing up his team-mates when they need it. "

Bircham is a massive QPR fan who is a big crowd favourite at Loftus Road. On his league debut for Rangers he ran out with blue and white hair and was instantly a hit with QPR fans.

As the season got towards it's end Bircham’s hair got more outrageous by the week but his performances on the pitch were also getting better and better.

Marc's passion for Rangers has become legendary already and I don't think I've ever seen a player run as much as he does during a game. Marc had problems early on in his first season as he got ill with glandular fever and when he returned he was stuck out on the right wing which led to speculation that his move to QPR may not last very long.

But in the new year he continued to improve and was moved back into central midfield where his performances towards the end of the season were superb.

Bircham is also seen a real character off the pitch and has helped bring together one of the best team spirits ever seen at the club. His tears at the playoff final helped spur him on to a big season in 2003/04.

He worked hard in central midfield producing some excellent performances alongside Marcus Bean and later in the season alongside Richard Johnson. He got his first goal in front of the Loft against Port Vale and hit a screamer in the win over Grimsby.

His attitude and love for QPR comes across so well and he was once quoted as saying "I only started playing football so I could play for QPR and had to take the chance to fulfil my dreams. I'm back where I want to be. If they offered me a 10-year contract I'd snap their hands off !" I think that about sums up what Marc Bircham is all about.

Bircham signed a new three year contract in the summer of 2004 and gained several caps for Canada after impressing for QPR.

Bircham missed the start of this season with injury but his return coincided with the team winning seven games in a row. Whether this was a coincidence or not was never really clear but he is a big character to have on the pitch who seems to help get the best out of his team mates.

The step up to the Championship has seen mixed results for Bircham himself. He has produced some excellent displays when asked to play a defensive role but he has struggled in some games where he has been needed to provide that something extra to turn draws into victories.

Marc Bircham began last season a first team regular and ends it with his QPR career virtually over. Since he joined QPR in 2002 he has always split the fan base. He's either a hard working player who's Rangers through and through or a carthorse who spends too much time rolling around on the floor and cheating.

Personally I'm in the first camp and like Bircham but his performances this season never really did him any favours.

He started the season well combining with Doherty to great effect in early games and he was one of our most consistent performers early on. His passing was much improved as he kept things simple and he appeared to calm down his all action Steven Gerrard type efforts and play to his strengths. He even scored a goal of the season contender in the 2-1 win over Sheffield United.

Unfortunately though injuries harmed his season and he was in and out of the side during a mixed first half of the season for the team. When he was back in the first team over Christmas the team quickly improved and his partnership with Langley was very promising.

Bircham was excellent in the win over Cardiff but picked up another injury at Crewe and looked set to leave QPR during the transfer window when Sheffield United came calling. Rangers decided to keep the midfielder though and when Ian Holloway left Loftus Road Bircham's future had another question mark over it.

He was a regular under the new man though and impressed with solid performances in midfield alongside Lomas.

Again he looked as he did at the start of the season with improved passing and good defensive work but as the fans cried out for more creativity Bircham's place was under threat and at the end of the season he was placed on the transfer list.

I think this was done for several reasons, one of them is he's a player who we can get a fee for and another is that Gary Waddock will want to end associations with Ian Holloway's time at QPR and Bircham is probably one of the players who has been quite vocal in his disappointment over the way Holloway was treated.

That all changed though when things went wrong this season and Bircham found himself not only back in the side but wearing the captains armband before Waddock was replaced as manager. Since then Bircham has been a regular in the first team playing some of the best football of his career.