QPR worked some magic to land £3.5m star who smashed it at Loftus Road | OneFootball

Alejandro Faurlin starred at QPR and went from being a relative unknown to a cult-hero.

Queens Park Rangers have had some memorable players in the last 20 years, with Alejandro Faurlin sticking out in particular.

In 2009, an unknown midfielder, Faurlin, arrived at Loftus Road for a reported £3.5m fee. The Argentine spent his career up until then mainly in his home country, with a short stint away in Portugal.

Whilst little was known about Faurlin when he arrived, that very quickly changed. The energetic young midfielder established himself as a cult-hero in W12, which has led to him being recognised as one of the club's best signings in recent history.

QPR struck gold with Argentine import

Over recent years, we've seen many players who cost far more than what the Argentine cost QPR fail to adapt to English football. However, after an impressive youth career in his homeland with River Plate, the midfielder certainly had the pedigree to make an impact in a foreign country.

His spell with Cordoba-based club, Instituto, put him on the map for a potential move to Europe. There was plenty of interest from clubs in Spain, Italy, and Greece, but the then 22-year-old opted to head to London instead.

Upon signing for the club, he said: "I was really impressed with the set-up and the ambition of the club and can't wait to make my QPR debut."

Coming over from your home into a new, strange surrounding can be quite intimidating for some young players. However, that wouldn't be the case for the combative midfielder. He went on to play all-but 11 league matches over the next two years, which resulted in QPR winning promotion to the Premier League.

At the end of the 2009-10 season, Faurlin swept up the awards for both Supporter's and Player's Player of the Season - he was a key component in the R's promotion campaign.

The money QPR received from promotion to the Premier League would've certainly paid back his £3.5m transfer fee, which had proven to be an excellent investment.

Injury heartache prevented further QPR success

Whilst plenty of R's supporters look back on the midfielder's time at Loftus Road with fond memories, especially after his incredible first two seasons, you can't help but feel things could've been even better without his injury troubles.

During his time in England, Faurlin ruptured his ACL three separate times. One of the most damaging injuries you can sustain whilst playing the game, with some players facing over a year on the sidelines, whilst some never make a full recovery.

After forming a strong partnership with Joey Barton in the midfield, the Argentine would be forced to sit out the rest of the Premier League season, which was a result of his first ACL injury. This would limit his playing time in the top flight over the next two seasons, not giving him the chance to shine on the biggest stage.

He was even loaned out to Italian side, Palmero, in search of regular minutes. However, this loan spell would yield little success.

Just months after returning to London, Faurlin would rupture his ACL in his opposite leg following a tackle by John Eustace. This ruled the midfield out for the rest of the 2013-14 Championship season. Fortunately, his side were able to win promotion straight back to the Premier League whilst he finished his rehabilitation.

Now the club's longest-serving player, Faurlin returned to Premier League action, hoping to put the last two years of pain behind him. However, in an EFL Cup fixture against Burton Albion, the Rosario-born man ruptured his ACL for the third time in three years, ruling him out for the rest of the season.

This repeated injury certainly prevented Faurlin from showing what he was capable of, which could've got him a move to one of Europe's elite clubs. Whilst his time in London was excellent, it could've been so much better had he not suffered repeated injuries.

At the end of the day, the R's struck gold with the Argentine. Despite his injury problems, the midfielder certainly repaid the fee QPR paid for him by being instrumental in their Premier League promotion. Sadly, things never got as good as they potentially could have, but the unearthing of the gem from Rosario was one of the best bits of business in the club's recent history.