West Ham United have agreed a permanent deal with Queen's Park Rangers to allow attacker Hogan Ephraim to move to west London on a three-and-a-half year contract.
The Academy graduate spent the first three months of this season on loan at Loftus Road, making 13 league appearances and scoring two goals. Ephraim returned to the Boleyn Ground in November but could not force his way into contention, although the 19-year-old was on the bench for the 2-1 win at Middlesbrough on 22 December.
Ephraim had been playing in advanced wide-left role for QPR, a position where West Ham United are spoilt for choice with the likes of Matthew Etherington, Luis Boa Morte and Kyel Reid all showing up well in that role this campaign. "I am at the age now where I am desperate to play first-team football," he had said about his time at QPR.
"I was just happy to play wherever really," Ephraim, an England youth international, added. "The boys made me feel very welcome which made it very easy. The main thing about it was to get first-team opportunities - to go there and get some games and enjoy it." QPR, under new manager Luigi De Canio, are 18th in the Championship.
Ephraim made one appearance for the West Ham United first team, appearing as an 86th-minute substitute in a 4-2 win in the League Cup second round at Sheffield Wednesday on 20 September 2005. As well as his spell this season with QPR, Ephraim played 21 times on loan at Colchester United during the 2006/07 campaign, scoring once.