Gabriele Angella says discovering he wouldn’t be involved in Watford’s Premier League campaign was a “bad moment” in his career but the Italian hasn’t given up hope of playing for the Hornets in the top flight.

The centre-back was one of the mainstays of the Golden Boys side which won promotion from the Championship last season and signed a new five-year deal with Watford in the summer.

The 26-year-old’s future appeared to be at Vicarage Road but things quickly changed following the arrival of Sebastian Prödl and later Miguel Britos.

Angella lost his place in the Watford side. He watched the Hornets’ first two Premier League fixtures from the substitutes’ bench and wasn’t included in the match day squad for games against Southampton and Manchester City.

It subsequently came as little surprise when the Italian left the Hornets on transfer deadline day and joined Queens Park Rangers.

“I’m not disappointed,” Angella told the Football League paper. “No player gets to choose whether he plays or not and every year is different. What I did last year doesn’t matter now.

“At the time, it was a bad moment. But football is a short career. If you think every moment about the past, you won’t look forward and you won’t be happy.

“I chose to come here and I am very happy. After that, we’ll see. This year, it wasn’t my turn to play in the Premier League. Next year, maybe it will be. That is the way I think.”

Angella’s loan at QPR hasn’t gone exactly to plan. He started five consecutive games following his switch to Loftus Road but lost his place in R’s side midway through October.

He didn’t make another appearance until December 15, shortly after Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s appointment as Rangers boss.

“Here at QPR, I think here we have very good quality," he said. "From what I see, the players are as good as Watford’s. What we didn’t have was the organisation.

“But with this coach (Hasselbaink), we will get that. He is very good, someone who works a lot on the pitch, on shape and tactics.

“He played for Holland, and at the highest level in England. He has that international mentality that I talked about with Watford.

“I know it is difficult to say we will win promotion now. Things are still looking a bit dodgy.

“But step by step, game by game, I think we will improve. And there is lots of time left for QPR to return to the Premier League. I think we can.”