Bermuda international Kevin Richards is in talks with Queens Park Rangers about returning for a second spell at the English League Championship club after completing a successful trial.

Defender Richards sufficiently impressed the Hoops coaching staff who are keen to bring him back to Loftus Road to spend a week training with the first team during their next pre-season.

The 26-year-old, who was drafted by MLS side Colorado Rapids in 2004, trained with the under-18s and reserves last week and has vowed to increase his fitness levels and physically bulk up in his bid to win a professional contract.

While time is still on his side to make the transition from amateur to professional, Richards knows the sand in his egg timer is slowly ebbing away but is confident he has the attributes required to cope with the "muck and bullets" of Championship football.

"The opportunity to have a trial at a club with the history and prestige of QPR was really exciting and the opportunity of a lifetime," Richards told The Royal Gazette.

"At 26 opportunities to play at a top club will begin to dwindle, and as you can expect I was very surprised this one came up.

"They've begun talks about having me back for a full week with the first team squad during pre-season and I was a bit disappointed I didn't get to train with the first team this time around.

"The standard was definitely higher than what I'm used to, but I did not think it was much better than the top MLS sides. Physically I need to bulk up, and although I'm one of the fitter players in Bermuda, I need to improve my fitness levels. If I can polish the rough edges in my game I will have a good chance."

During his stay in Shepherds Bush, Richards' appetite for the 'big time' was whetted after watching QPR draw 2-2 with Preston North End in front of a feverish West London crowd.

"I went to see them play against Preston, and although QPR looked technically superior they were dominated for most of the match and lucky to go into the last 10 minutes only 2-0 down," said Richards, whose trial was organised by a former coach.

"The club captain (Gareth Ainsworth) came off the bench and turned the game on its head, scoring one and setting up the other, to tie the game in stoppage time. It was a great experience as the crowd at Loftus Road was great and I'd love to be playing in front of 20,000 week in week out."

Richards, who works as an underwriter at insurance giant Ace, will now put his professional aspirations in 'cold storage' while he prepares for the national team's World Cup qualifiers with Trinidad and Tobago and the upcoming Bermuda Hogges campaign.

He believes a season with the Hogges with provide the perfect platform to refine his game as he looks to follow in the slipstream set by the franchise's former UK professionals Shaun Goater and Kyle (Killer) Lightbourne.

"Bermuda Hogges have been very supportive and I think a successful season this year will be an excellent platform before my next trial with QPR," he said.

"Hopefully I'll get to play in my preferred role at right back as that's the position I'm going for with QPR, and I've not been able to play there for PHC or the national team.

"I think the qualities I have are ideal for English football, but if you can't play fast and don't have perfect technique you'll not make it at that level. These are things I'll be looking to work on during the Hogges season."

Conflict surrounds the Hogges' curtain raiser at Charlotte Eagles on Saturday with PHC's FA Cup final against Dandy Town scheduled for the following day at the National Sports Centre.

Richards is still unsure if he will be able to figure in both matches and believes the Bermuda Football Association (BFA) should have never allowed the clash to occur.

"I'm not sure what is planned for this weekend. If last year is a precedent, the PHC and Dandy Town players will probably be absent from the Hogges game.

"This is something that should not be happening because I recall having three weeks without a game earlier on this season. For the domestic season to have gone on for this long can only be down to bad scheduling on the BFA's part."

The versatile defender is still licking his wounds from PHC's seven-goal mauling at the hands of North Village in the Friendship Trophy final at the weekend.

In Richards' words it was simply a bad day at the office.

"I can't explain what happened in the final. We never got comfortable and were not able to settle into our own rhythm. The open game played into their hands as defensive errors forced us to throw players forward, leaving ourselves even more open to quick counter attacks.

"With the quality they have in the midfield and up front, combined with a bad day at the office, we ended up at the wrong side of a lopsided scoreline."

QPR are managed by Italian Luigi Di Canio and currently lie in 14th position in the Championship.

In August, 2007, Formula One tycoons, Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, who sold a 20 percent stake to the family of steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal in December of that year, bought the club.