QPR striker Chris Martin is set for his first reunion against Bristol City on the Championship final day - three months since leaving Ashton Gate by mutual consent.
Martin, 34, departed the Robins at the end of January after struggling for game time, scoring once in just 497 minutes of action. He netted 12 times for City last season but fell down the pecking order at the start of this campaign, with Andreas Weimann, Nakhi Wells, Tommy Conway all preferred.
However, it didn't take long for Martin to find a new club. The former Derby forward joined struggling QPR on February 6 and has since helped propel them to survival. Martin scored the winner in a 2-1 victory over champions Burnley last month and has netted four goals in 15 games at The R's.
"It's been an interesting season with how things have gone, starting the season off at Bristol City, being involved and starting the games, then finding myself out of the team, and coming to this building [QPR] when I was terminated at Bristol City," Martin exclusively told Mirror Football, via Sky Bet.
"I've been fairly satisfied with my performances personally, but there's a niggling voice in the back of my head that says I could've done more or could've done better.
"It's been a challenging time, for sure – it's been interesting, and even at my age and with the experience I have, it's been a learning curve, coming in and playing a slightly different role in terms of the leadership aspect than I have at most other clubs. It's been interesting and challenging, but I've really enjoyed it."
QPR made a fast start to the Championship season under Michael Beale and sat top after 16 matches, picking up 30 points in the process. However, a dramatic decline in form with one win in 20 league games saw QPR drop all the way down towards the relegation zone.
Neil Critchley, who took over from Beale after he made the switch to Rangers last November, recorded the lowest win percentage of any permanent QPR manager in the process (8%). But in came Gareth Ainsworth to rescue The R's following his abrupt departure from Wycombe.
Ainsworth made a slow start to life at Loftus Road but has lost just one of his last five matches, with QPR now mathematically safe from the drop. Huddersfield's win over Sheffield United sealed their second-tier status for next season - and Martin believes this summer will be a time of reflection for the club.
"There's a relief after how the last couple of months have gone, but reflecting on the season, and speaking to a lot of people at the club, there's disappointment in the position we were in earlier in the season, and what the season turned into. I'm sure the summer will be a time for reflection for everybody at the club, players and staff alike.
"This is to see if we can pinpoint the reasons why that happened, and make sure it doesn't happen again – and to try and see where things went right too.
"A lot will be concentrated on what’s gone wrong and how to change that, but there's been some good stuff over the course of this season too and it's about trying to figure out where that came from, why that happened and how we are able to get that out of more people for longer periods of the season."
Martin has been back to his best in recent weeks under Ainsworth after a troubling time at Bristol City, with the ex-Norwich star contributing both on and off the pitch. Ainsworth left Wycombe in February after more than a decade but seems to be getting the best out of his players right now.
"He [Gareth Ainsworth] has been great with me personally, he's a good man and he has the respect of the group," Martin added. "He's shown real good leadership and an openness to listen – it’s not been dogmatic from his point of view. Everyone feels like they have something to contribute, and they've been allowed to do that. He's been a shining light in terms of leadership for us to follow."
Martin signed an initial six-month deal at QPR in February and is out of contract in the summer. However, despite being 34, Martin doesn't have any plans of stopping anytime soon and is keen to keep playing - whether that be at The Hoops or elsewhere.
"It's difficult to say how the end of this season will reflect on the next – this summer is a big summer for the club, it will be interesting to see what happens," he continued. "From a personal point of view, my contract runs out in the summer too – and I would like to play on and fix that up as soon as I possibly can, whether it be here or elsewhere."
