1. Simon Royce

Simon Royce made his loan move permanent to QPR when he joined Rangers on a free transfer in July 2005.

Royce had been a big success during his loan spell with QPR last season keeping six clean sheets in thirteen matches. This was Royce's second loan spell at Loftus Road. His first spell saw him arrive at very short notice from Leicester City the day before a game against Peterborough. Rangers had lost Nick Culkin and Chris Day to injury to Royce came in and kept a clean sheet on his debut before becoming a very popular player.

His performance a week on at Mansfield was outstanding. Despite Rangers winning 4-0 it was down to Royce that the win came about as he single handily kept QPR in the game during a first half onslaught.

Royce impressed everyone and stayed at QPR for three months as he kept QPR around the playoffs, which we would eventually reach the final of. His final games were not quite what he would have wanted as we lost 4-0 to Cardiff City and he was lucky enough to miss the Vauxhall Motors debacle due to being cup tied.

After a move to Charlton that summer he found first team opportunities hard to come by and was often loaned out to help out first and second division clubs. He returned to Loftus Road in January 2005 after a poor run of form for the team and goalkeeper Chris Day. Royce again did well for Rangers organising the defence and looking a very good player.

Royce returned to Charlton in April when his loan expired and he saw out his contract at Charlton and turned down a new deal in order to be a number one keeper rather than a back up. He also received offers from several other clubs but Loftus Road was his preferred destination.

He started last season looking to make a name for himself as a number one but he almost missed the start of the season passing a late fitness test before the first game of the season at Hull City. Royce started that game and made one crucial save in a game where he was rarely tested.

He started the season in good form showing confidence in coming for crosses, a willingness to throw the ball out to his full back and as we already knew he was capable of some brilliant shot stopping. Royce made the number one shirt his own and behind what was fast becoming a dodgy defence he kept his side in games with some top saves.

Royce gained huge plaudits for one sensational performance away at Derby. He performed well throughout in a game where 10 men Rangers hung on to a one goal lead. Royce though stole the show in the final 10 minutes. First off he dived low to his right to save an Idiakez penalty before we broke clear and grabbed a second goal.

Derby soon pulled one back before Royce pulled off an extraordinary save. Derby broke again on the right and a ball across had goal written all over it. Idiakez was unmarked from eight yards out and with an empty net to strike into. He did everything right playing a nice shot but from nowhere Royce threw himself at the ball making one of the best saves I've ever seen before throwing it out to Bignot and launching a counter attack. I remember the away celebrating as if we had scored.

Royce's incredible form continued in the 3-0 defeat at Watford where it could have been about 10 if he hadn't been playing. Royce seemed to be one of our only players performing at this stage of the season and he was keeping the score down in so many games.

Royce repeated his wonder save with another great one in the home draw with Burnley. With the score at 1- to the visitors a lovely move cut us apart and the ball was rolled across the six-yard box form an unmarked Akinbyi. It looked a certain goal and the division's top scorer did every thing right making a good connection but Royce was equal to it and produced a magnificent save to keep Akinbyi out.

The crowd stood as one to give Royce a standing ovation for the save and even Akinbyi took a moment to go over and shake Royce by the hand and pat him on the back.

Royce looked a certainty for the player of the season before injury ruled him out of the trip to Leeds and then the arrival of Paul Jones and continued injury problems meant he didn't play again all season after the 3-2 defeat to Leicester City.

His injury problems continued to leave him worrying over his career but he returned to the first team squad in late September which was a big boost for him. He was back in the side ironically against Leicester City at home and had remained the QPR number one ever since.

I think Royce is our best goalkeeper and if he can over come his injury problems he'll go on to prove himself to be an excellent player for us.

Previous Awards on This Web Site:

2006/07

December 2006 Player of the Month

2005/06

2005 Player of the Year

2005 Best Signing

November 2005 Player of the Month

October 2005 Player of the Month

QPR Career
*Upto and including April 21st 2007*
Club	Year	Apps	Subs	Conceded	Average Rating	Yellow Cards	Red Cards	Man of the Match
QPR	2006/07	22	0	33	6.6	0	0	2
QPR	2005/06	32	0	49	6.7	2	1	4
QPR	2004/05	13	0	12	6.9	1	0	3
QPR	2002/03	15	0	17	6.9	0	1	2
TOTAL		82	0	111	6.7	3	2	11