WARBURTON: I CAN’T BEE SENTIMENTAL

MARK WARBURTON insists there is no danger of split loyalties in tonight’s west London derby.

The QPR boss spent almost five years at Brentford, including two as manager between 2013 and 2015 – and says he still feels affection for the club.

He also admits he owes Bees owner Matthew Benham a debt of gratitude for giving him his break in management.

But the 57-year-old – who had spells in Scotland at Rangers and at Nottingham Forest before becoming Hoops boss in May – insists all that counts for nothing when there are points and local pride at stake.

Warburton said: “I had almost five fantastic years there and I’m sure the QPR fans know I’m very aware of the relationship between the clubs. There’s no love lost.

“I understand the local rivalry, I understand fully, and my commitment is 100 per cent with Queens Park Rangers.

“I’m the manager, I want nothing more than a win on Monday night but it doesn’t take away from the fact I had five great years.

“I was given a fantastic opportunity by Matthew, for whom I have enormous respect and a lot of friends still at the club, so for me it’s a special game because for both clubs it means so much.

“My loyalty now is with QPR but the affection for Brentford and in terms of what it did for me will never go away.”

Warburton (above) guided his old club out of League One and into the Championship play-offs.

And current Brentford boss Thomas Frank urged Bees fans to go easy on the former manager at Loftus Road.

He said: “Big credit to Mark, he has done a good job going into QPR – the so-called experts before the season didn’t fancy them that much and so far they are near the top of the table.

“Our fans might not like him that much because he went to QPR but I think we need to look at the good job he did here.

“He got us promoted and into the play-offs, so I can only praise him for that and the things he has done for QPR so far.”