Paulo Wanchope has told Spanish newspaper AS that he approached Queens Park Rangers before joining Derby County.
The Costa Rican first arrived in Europe when Derby County signed him in 1997 when they were in the Premier League. At that time, QPR were in the second division.
Wanchope also had spells at West Ham United and Manchester City. The latter will take on Real Madrid in the Champions League play-off at the Etihad on Tuesday.
Ahead of the big European fixture, AS had a chat with the 48-year-old. Towards the end, they asked him how he ended up in the Premier League with Derby County.
When responding to that, he opened up on how he ended up on the English club’s radar and the trials he had at QPR and Derby County.
Wanchope’s impressive performances for his country had attracted interest from Europe and specifically OGC Nice. The former striker was initially heading to France but ended up at Derby County partly thanks to QPR’s refusal to sign him.
“I made my national team debut when I was 19 years old and in one of the games against the United States there was a former English player, from Arsenal, who lived in Los Angeles and was watching the game on television,” he said.
“I caught his eye. He saw potential, he thought I had everything to play in Europe. I was initially going to Nice, because the owner was a friend of his.
“But something happened, and I ended up in England for a trial with QPR, who were in the second division. They didn’t keep me, but this man insisted on me and called Derby, who were in the Premiership, I tried out and stayed. I didn’t have a contract or anything, if I didn’t get a contract I would go back to Herediano.”
Wanchope was at Derby County for over two years and managed 26 goals and two assists from 81 games.
He was also an icon for Costa Rica and scored 44 goals from 73 matches for the national team between 1996 and 2008.
