Former Arsenal coach Neil Banfield has been appointed as a first-team coach at QPR to work alongside new manager Mark Warburton.

ST ALBANS, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20: Arsene Wenger, manager of Arsenal looks on with Steve Bould and Neil Banfield during a training session ahead of their UEFA Champions League Play Off first leg match against Fenerbache at London Colney on August 20, 2013 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
ST ALBANS, ENGLAND – AUGUST 20: Arsene Wenger, manager of Arsenal looks on with Steve Bould and Neil Banfield during a training session ahead of their UEFA Champions League Play Off first leg match against Fenerbache at London Colney on August 20, 2013 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Neil Banfield was released from his role at Arsenal in the clearout that followed Arsene Wenger’s ‘resignation’.

The 57-year-old spent 21 years at the club, working his way through the Academy (where he won two FA Youth Cups and an FA Premier Academy League at both u17 and u19 level) and Reserves before becoming first-team coach in 2012.

A Londoner, he started his playing career with Crystal Palace in 1979 but only made three appearances for them before moving to Adelaide City. He also represented England at Schoolboy and u18 level.

Banfield also served as assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland’s u21 side under Don Given between April 2004 and May 2005 and had been working as a scout for Steven Gerrard’s Rangers before this latest move.

“I haven’t worked with Mark before but I was very close with him when he was at Watford and I was at Arsenal,” Banfield told www.qpr.co.uk. “The training grounds were across the fence from each other, so we used to have games and got to know each other well.

“I went onto different pastures, and so did Mark, but we’ve kept in contact and I have found him interesting company on courses we’ve been on.

“I think our philosophies are very similar in the way we see the game. We understand that it’s not beautiful football all of the time but we do know how we like our football teams to play. We have a real good game-plan of exciting and attacking football.”

QPR finished last season in 19th place on 51 points, 11 points clear of the relegation places but some 43 from Champions, Norwich City.