QPR have settled on a familiar face after missing out on their primary target.

Ian Holloway will be announced as the new manager of QPR before this weekend but Birmingham City boss Gary Rowett was the Londoners’ first choice, The Sun reports.

Following the sacking of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink last week, QPR have been linked with a huge number of candidates as they look to kick-start a season that has stalled alarmingly in recent weeks, leaving The Hoops mired in mid-table slipping further behind the chasing pack in the race for the play-offs.

Recent speculation suggested that Tim Sherwood and current Bayern Munich assistant and former Derby boss Paul Clement were the frontrunners to take over at Loftus Road, but it now appears certain that veteran coach Holloway will step into the breach for the second time.

The charismatic Bristolian managed QPR between 2001 and 2005 and looks set to return to football after over a year out of the game since being sacked by Millwall over a year and a half ago following the most testing spell of his long career.

However, The Sun report that Gary Rowett was the club’s initial preference but the 42-year-old was keen to remain at St Andrews’.

Rowett is one of the most highly-rated young managers in the English game, guiding unfancied Burton Albion to promotion from League Two before joining a Birmingham side in crisis, one point off the bottom of the Championship table upon his arrival in October 2014.

However, Rowett almost single-handedly inspired a remarkable turnaround at the Midlands giants, leading them to two consecutive top half finishes while earning plenty of plaudits for his achievements.

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