Lee Wallace insists he has nothing to prove to former club Rangers after leaving Ibrox for Queens Park Rangers.
The left-back’s career in Govan never recovered from the dressing room bust-up with then manager Graeme Murty in the aftermath of last April’s 4-0 Scottish Cup semi-final loss to Celtic.
Both Wallace and striker Kenny Miller were initially fined by the club but had those penalties overturned by the SPFL on appeal.
Former Hearts defender Wallace only managed a total of 53 minutes of action across three appearances last season before his contract expired.
QPR manager Mark Warburton, who handed Wallace the captaincy during his time in charge at Rangers, described the club’s treatment of the player as ‘harsh’ and ‘unfair’.
However, Wallace, who signed a two-year deal with the London outfit last Friday, insists he is solely motivated by a desire to get his career back on track at the age of 31.
Speaking to qpr.co.uk said: “I would say I’ve got a point to prove, more to myself more than anything.
“Missing two season’s worth of football – I know I had minutes last season – but I think it’s more to myself.
“I know what I am and I know what I can be and when I ask myself some key questions, what does my best game look like, what do I feel like when I’m at my best?
“I know how I’m going to get there and I think now I have an opportunity at an exciting time to come and play for a top football club, so I’m going to meet this head on.
“First and foremost I can’t wait to work hard, earn the right to wear the shirt and give as much of a positive impact to my team-mates as possible.
“I felt everything was right (to sign for QPR), the circumstances at Rangers played a part in that but now it’s time for that lifestyle change as well.”
Wallace was handed the armband at Rangers upon Warburton’s arrival in the dugout in June 2015, making 50 appearances that season as the team clinched a return to the top-flight.
The Edinburgh-born player, who has been joined at Loftus Road by former Rangers team-mate Liam Kelly, insists the chance to be reunited with Warburton was a huge factor in his switch south of the border.
He added: “The main thing that stands out is the man that he is, the quality of person.
“You go deeper than just the football side, as a man – the fact he gave me the captaincy at Rangers, which was a great honour for me, a huge privilege and something I will owe the manager for the rest of my career.
“The impact he’s made on me on and off the pitch, he’s been terrific for that reason.
“That has made the decision a lot easier, knowing I’m coming to a great club and working with a top man and a top manager.
“We all know his previous line of work and he fuses that into the footballing world really well.
“That’s great for player, it’s hugely important in modern day football if you want to be successful that the culture is right within your environment and I think that was the first thing that we as Rangers players recognised when he came to Glasgow.”
