Steven Reid in QPR loan move

Blackburn Rovers midfielder Steven Reid has joined QPR on loan as he looks to secure regular football and aid his return to full fitness.

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Steven Reid in action against Peterborough

Reid, 28, has only made three appearances in the Carling Cup under Sam Allardyce this season and a succession of fitness problems have restricted his first-team appearances since the end of the 2007-08 season.

Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni recently angered Blackburn by claiming it would be "very difficult" for Reid to return to his full capability but the midfielder has now joined Rangers in an effort to prove that he is ready to play on a regular basis.

"It was Steven's decision," Allardyce told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph. "He said he fancied it and wanted to get a few games under his belt."

In QPR he joins an ambitious Championship side that, under manager Jim Magilton, are currently sitting in fourth place, four points shy of an automatic promotion place.

"This is a significant loan signing for the football club," Magilton told the club's official website. "The fact we've been able to attract a player of Steven's calibre to the club speaks volumes of the board and the direction in which the club is heading.

"He's a class act. He can pass, he can tackle, he can shoot, he's box-to-box - he's a very, very good player. We were a bit light on numbers in the central midfield department following the long-term injuries to Martin (Rowlands) and Gavin (Mahon), but Steven's arrival will give everyone a lift and will hopefully help us to kick on over the coming weeks."