Hughes: Adel Impressed

MARK Hughes had nothing but praise for Adel Taarabt upon his return to the set-up

The Moroccan international returned home from the African Cup of Nations when his side were knocked out of the tournament.

The competition's loss was Rangers' gain as Taarabt started against Wolverhampton Wanderers, impressing despite the scoreline.

Mark Hughes told QPR.co.uk that despite what he has been informed to the contrary, Taarabt's defensive duties were carried out excellently.

'I was really impressed with Adel,' he said.

'He'd only had one light training session with the group since his return, but he took on board what we said to him, in terms of what we needed from him, and he was fantastic.

'His defensive work, which apparently hasn't been the greatest in the past, was thoroughly impressive - I didn't see any problems with that side to his game at all.

'His effort and his application, along with his ability - which he showed on numerous occasions - was outstanding.'

Hughes highlighted alongside the effort and endeavour, how much a team player Adel proved to be, and how much of a bearing he could have in forthcoming fixtures.

He continued: 'I just thought he took on the responsibilities we asked of him.

'He was excellent individually and he helped out his team-mates - he stepped up to the plate and that will encourage him and give him the confidence that he can affect Premier league games at this level.

'We'll get the best out of him and he'll have a real impact until the end of the season. I've got no doubt his ability will be a factor in the games we have ahead of us.'

Rangers face three fixtures that could go a long way to deciding their Premier League destiny, with a trip to Blackburn Rovers followed by Fulham and Everton coming to W12.

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.