This is how I see it.
He came to us off the back of a tough season that saw us go through 4 managers before settling with Warnock, ultimately avoiding relegation. Due to our finances we were always expected to go up but no one expected us to dominate the way we did that season, and Clint was a big part of that. Part of a defence that kept 25 clean sheets, goal line clearances, put his body on the line and chipped in with a goal or 2, and galvanised the dressing room along with others during the Faurlin saga. On our return to the premier league no one expected him to make the step up, not even him, and he was sent out on loan to Forest. Think we all thought that was the end of him at Rangers, but he came back, and his performances in the top league helped us stay up and earned him the player of the year gong. Clint Hill, QPR player of the year in the premier league, who could have seen that at the start of that season?
That, IMO, elevated him to cult hero status.
The following season was one of the worst in the clubs history. Yet Clint was one of the guys in the dressing room who tried keeping it all together. Ultimately we went down in dismal circumstances, but again, he won the player of the year. Granted, no one else really deserved it, and he himself said he didnt deserve it.
He stayed, however, and defensively last season alongside Dunne, he was immense, often playing left back, a position he didnt feel comfortable in. He was our leader, our captain, and he led by example. His speech after winning at Wembley and finally getting to walk up those steps to lift a trophy, exorcising the demons of his last time at Wembley, was emotional and showed how much he genuinely cares about our club and us as fans. He is about to play yet again in the premier league, and whether he plays much or not, his presence in the dressing room will be invaluable. He has already stated his desire to stay at the club as a coach, something I think we would all welcome.
For me, Clint Hill is a modern day legend.
He came to us off the back of a tough season that saw us go through 4 managers before settling with Warnock, ultimately avoiding relegation. Due to our finances we were always expected to go up but no one expected us to dominate the way we did that season, and Clint was a big part of that. Part of a defence that kept 25 clean sheets, goal line clearances, put his body on the line and chipped in with a goal or 2, and galvanised the dressing room along with others during the Faurlin saga. On our return to the premier league no one expected him to make the step up, not even him, and he was sent out on loan to Forest. Think we all thought that was the end of him at Rangers, but he came back, and his performances in the top league helped us stay up and earned him the player of the year gong. Clint Hill, QPR player of the year in the premier league, who could have seen that at the start of that season?
That, IMO, elevated him to cult hero status.
The following season was one of the worst in the clubs history. Yet Clint was one of the guys in the dressing room who tried keeping it all together. Ultimately we went down in dismal circumstances, but again, he won the player of the year. Granted, no one else really deserved it, and he himself said he didnt deserve it.
He stayed, however, and defensively last season alongside Dunne, he was immense, often playing left back, a position he didnt feel comfortable in. He was our leader, our captain, and he led by example. His speech after winning at Wembley and finally getting to walk up those steps to lift a trophy, exorcising the demons of his last time at Wembley, was emotional and showed how much he genuinely cares about our club and us as fans. He is about to play yet again in the premier league, and whether he plays much or not, his presence in the dressing room will be invaluable. He has already stated his desire to stay at the club as a coach, something I think we would all welcome.
For me, Clint Hill is a modern day legend.
Comment