Liverpool forgotten treble winner tipped to take over at Championship strugglers

Forgotten Liverpool full-back Gregory Vignal is being linked with the Queens Park Rangers job, despite the fact it is still occupied. His appointment would mark a first foray into English football in almost 15 years.

The Reds themselves will be solely focused on their place at the top of the Premier League table right now, and how they are going to remain there as the challenging fixtures come thick and fast. But looking further down the English footballing pyramid there may be a place for one former Red to prosper.

Formerly a Premier League stalwart, QPR find themselves in the heat of a Championship relegation battle this season with only one win and an overall tally of 10 points leaving them dead last in the division after 15 matches played. Manager Marti Cifuentes is adamant he is capable of turning this poor start around, though with patience running thin he may not be afforded the time to complete the achievement.

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This would leave the Hoops looking for a new manager and L'Equipe say ex-Liverpool man Vignal is a surprise contender in the frame. As a player, Vignal came from boyhood club Montpellier to the Reds under Gerard Houllier ahead of the 2000/01 FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup treble-winning season.

He would only make seven appearances that term, and by 2005 would leave the club having only had 20 outings and four separate loan spells away from Anfield. One of those was to Scottish side Rangers, whilst in the rest of his career he would later turn out for Portsmouth, Southampton and Birmingham City.

Whilst he may not have had an influence on the same level as Andy Robertson or Trent Alexander-Arnold in a Reds shirt, Vignal has remained in touch with the club and its supporters when returning for legends charity matches at Anfield. Back in March he scored the opening goal in the match Sven-Goran Eriksson took charge of against Ajax.

Moving into coaching in 2019, he spent one season in charge of Rangers Women and last season took on his first assignment in men's football management, leading semi-professional club FC Versailles. They finished ninth in France's third tier, so he truly is an outsider were QPR giving serious consideration to his appointment.