Leroy Fer reckons he will put himself through a brick wall - starting against Stoke on Saturday - to avoid a second demotion in a row.

The QPR midfielder suffered the agonies of the drop with Norwich last term, and admits the threat of a second smack in the face gives him more incentive than most.

“I can’t go down two years in a row, but we need a big lift - and that starts Saturday,” said the Dutch international, who joined Hoops in the summer for £8million, “and sure, it gives me more motivation keep Rangers in the Premier League."

Rangers are yet to register a single point on the road, but Fer enjoyed a rare 1-0 win with Canaries last term, even though he was booked against one of the elite’s more physical sides.

(Image: Action Images / Henry Browne)

He said: “The whole Premier League is tough, and you can say Stoke are aggressive - but we just have to be prepared for them and avoid yellow cards, but still but battle.”

Such a tussle sees Fer likely to face City defender Ryan Shawcross again, booked an average six to nine times for the last three seasons, as well as collecting another yellow at Loftus Road in the 2-2 draw last September after an industrial challenge that left Niko Kranjcar poleaxed.

Fer reckoned Shawcross should have been sent off - and told the referee in no uncertain terms. It got him a yellow as well - one of six in total. But the 25-year-old insists he’s not one to run when the going gets tough.

“I’m never going to run from people, and have to face him (Shawcross) in a fair way,” he said. “That’s why I don’t walk away from those sort of things.”

Fer revealed Rangers are still smarting from a 2-1 defeat to fellow relegation candidates Burnley three weeks ago, but believes his new club are better equipped to retain their top-flight place than Norwich.

He explained: “With all respect to Norwich, I think we have a better team with QPR, but we need a win away from home; and we’ve been saying it for a couple of weeks now. At Burnley, we didn’t take our chance.

“Some days you just know you’re going to win and others you grow into the game, and at Stoke we have to have to have that feeling we are going to win it.”