Rowan Vine reserved special praise for the QPR supporters following his long-awaited comeback against Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.

Following a year long absence with a fractured leg, the former Birmingham City front-man entered the fray in the 73rd minute against the Eagles - and was met with a standing ovation from the Rangers faithful.

"I'm delighted to be back," he told www.qpr.co.uk.

"It's been a long hard struggle, so it was nice to be out there.

"It's been a long time in coming, but the fans have always been great. The reception was amazing and I'd like to thank each and every one of the Rangers fans for that."

Having returned unscathed from his 17 minute cameo, Vine - who showed glimpses of his undoubted ability in the 0-0 draw - already has one eye on next weekend's fixture against Burnley at Turf Moor.

"In my mind, I just wanted to get back this season and I've done that, so now I'm looking forward to the run-in," he said.

"It'll take time for me to get back to the level I was at before my injury, but I'm feeling good within myself and looking forward to Burnley next weekend and thereafter the remaining games of the season.

"I'm fully confident that when I'm fully fit I can make a big difference here and I'm already looking forward to the start of next season."

Vine also praised the support of his friends and family during his 12 months on the sidelines, commenting: "I'm a professional footballer who just wants to play football, so it was a frustrating period for me.

"Setbacks are part and parcel of long term injuries, but I've had my friends and family around me and they've hoped me cope.

"It's onwards and upwards now and I'm only looking towards the future."