Legendary striker Les Ferdinand was Queens Park Rangers’ director of football for eight years before stepping down from his position ahead of the new Championship season.

Les Ferdinand believes that some of the criticism he faced as Queens Park Rangers’ director of football stemmed from his race.

Ferdinand, 56, transitioned into teaching after retiring from football in 2006. He worked at Tottenham for six years until becoming QPR’s head of football operations in 2014. The following year, he was elevated to director of football before leaving in June.

With QPR languishing in the Championship, the ex-striker faced criticism near the end of his tenure there. The former Premier League club is 22nd in the table and in danger of relegation, having won just two games this season under Gareth Ainsworth.

Ferdinand has admitted to some flaws in his work but maintains that he has been unfairly criticized because of his color. The former Newcastle player has also spoken out on the black community’s lack of possibilities in management jobs in sports.

In the newest episode of Kammy and Ben’s Proper Football Podcast with Chris Kamara and Ben Shephard, Ferdinand discussed his time at Loftus Road. “Some of the criticism came because of my skin color,” the former QPR manager alleged.

“I always tell people, ‘If I was a bad football director, it wasn’t because of my skin color.'” It was only that I was a lousy football director. If I was good, it wouldn’t be due of my skin color. It was due to my ability.”

Ferdinand says he felt like “a trailblazer” at QPR due to a “lack of opportunities” for the black community in football. A recent report by the Black Football Partnership found that only 4.4 per cent of black employees held management-related positions in the sport.

Ferdinand noted how the black community are being overlooked due to the “umpteen directors of football” that keep getting chances. He added: “Have they gone from job to job to job because they’ve always been successful? No… but they continue to get jobs.

“That’s not quite correct… and it’s the same as management. You know, Paul Ince has to be successful. Darren Moore, who was successful, still loses his job. But their counterparts can afford not to be that good, but still get opportunities to work again.”

Ferdinand is part in a black players’ organization and believes that more than 200 current and past professionals are attempting to break into management-related roles in football but are being turned down. He went on to say: “No one’s getting the opportunities.”

Ferdinand is well known for his outstanding playing career. He played more than 500 club games for QPR, Tottenham, and Leicester, as well as 17 times for England’s senior side. With Tottenham Hotspur, he won the League Cup in 1999.