Wycombe Wanderers witnessed QPR player hype first-hand but never got long-term benefit | OneFootball

Hogan Ephraim's time at Wycombe Wanderers was short, but sweet.

In 2014, Wycombe Wanderers added exciting attacker Hogan Ephraim to their ranks, and the former Queens Park Rangers star had a big impact in his short time at Adams Park.

Over the years, Wycombe have had plenty of players whose time at the club has been short and sweet, with one of the more recent examples being Ephraim. The London-born attacker made just 14 league appearances for Wanderers, but gained somewhat of a 'super-sub' reputation.

The then-26-year-old found himself without a club following his release from QPR in the summer of 2014. He linked up with Gareth Ainsworth's Wycombe initially on trial, before putting pen to paper on a deal until the end of the season.

Ephraim played a key role as an impact sub for the Chairboys, who made it all the way to the play-off final, where they were beaten by Southend United on penalties. Despite his clear popularity at Adams Park, the winger decided to leave the club at the end of his contract, and he eventually faded into obscurity.

Hogan Ephraim's short and sweet stint at Wycombe Wanderers was a successful one

Ephraim began his career in the mid 2000's with West Ham United, having worked his way through the academy ranks with the Irons, having also represented England at multiple different youth levels in the early stage of his career.

Following a couple of loan spells away from the Hammers, Ephraim signed permanently with loan club QPR in 2008. He went on to make 104 appearances for the R's before he was released in the summer of 2014.

Fortunately for him, he was snapped up by Wycombe in October of the same year, after impressing manager Ainsworth on trial. The forward made his debut in the quarters against local rivals Oxford United the following month. However, early into his time at the club, he suffered a freak back injury, which left him unable to walk.

Following a couple of months on the sidelines, Ephraim returned to the side in early 2015, netting his first and only goal for the club in a 1-0 win over Cambridge United. The Chairboys were flying, and Ephraim often found himself being used as an impact sub for the Blues. During his time at the club, the attacker started just five league matches.

At the end of the season, Ephraim had scored one and assisted two goals in 14 league appearances. He started two of the three play-off matches, including the final at Wembley Stadium. However, following Wycombe's heartbreaking defeat, Ephraim left the club, despite being offered a new contract.

Wycombe only saw short-term hype of former QPR man Hogan Ephraim

After leaving Wycombe, Ephraim dropped off the radar entirely.

He cited his reason for leaving the Chairboys as a lack of regular minutes, not wanting to play a bit-part role at the club. However, the former QPR man would be without a club for the next 18 months, as he considered punditry work in America.

He eventually signed for non-league Whitehawk in March 2017, before retiring from the game that summer at the age of 29. After showing promising signs at Adams Park, it was a real shame to see Ephraim calling time on his career so early.

His time in HP12 was short and sweet, but it would undoubtedly have been even sweeter had Wycombe won the play-off final in his last game for the club. The London-born attacker was a player who always got supporters off their feet, which Wanderers fans only experienced in the short term.

Ephraim will always go down as one of Wycombe's 'street's won't forget' players. The hype around him and what he offered made him an exciting player, but Chairboys supporters only got to see that in flashes from the bench.