Blades begin search as Kenny is lured to London by Warnock

The 32-year-old was in London finalising the terms of his 750,000 switch and is expected to be unveiled today, just two months after returning to the Blades' first team following a nine-month ban for failing a drugs test.

The news represents a blow to the United management and fans who were looking forward to seeing Kenny back in goal next season after he missed all-but two games of the 2009-10 campaign because of the ban.

During his suspension, the Halifax-born Republic of Ireland international signed a contract extension until the end of next season but has been lured to Loftus Road by former manager Neil Warnock after QPR activated a release clause in his contract.

Sources close to Kenny told the Yorkshire Post that the goalkeeper felt the Blades had not done enough to retain his services.

But after holding discussions with Kenny and his representatives in the wake of QPR making their interest known, United will feel they have been let down by a player they stood by during his darkest days.

Kenny was suspended last September after testing positive for traces of ephedrine, a banned substance, believed to be contained in a cough mixture bought over the counter, when randomly checked following United's victory over Preston North End in the Championship play-off semi-final at the end of the 2008-09 season.

The club suspended the player on June 4, pending the result of the investigation, but even after the ban was enforced and he was made to train separately from the first team, the Blades honoured his contract and in November both parties agreed to extend his stay at Bramall Lane.

The goalkeeper even paid tribute to United in an interview in the Blades' matchday programme just weeks before his return to action in the penultimate game of the season, a 2-0 win over Swansea City at Bramall Lane in April.

In the interview Kenny said: "Being given the ban, I was crying in the car coming home, thinking my career was over because you don't know what is around the corner but, luckily, this club stood by me."

Kenny first joined Sheffield United in August 2002 from Bury, initially on loan.

Warnock – who had also been his manager at Gigg Lane – made the move permanent three months later in a deal worth 42,000.

Kenny was voted player of the season in his first year at the club and helped the Blades to the Championship play-off final, where they were beaten 3-0 by Wolves.

He played every minute of their successful promotion campaign in 2005-06

Brian Kerr handed him his first Republic of Ireland cap in 2004.

He played seven times for his country before asking Steve Staunton to leave him out of his plans in early 2007 for personal reasons, following an incident outside a Halifax curry house in November 2006 which resulted in Kenny having his eyebrow bitten off.

He returned to the international scene in 2008, by which time Shay Given was established as the Irish No 1.

Kenny was placed on the transfer list at the end of 2008 after being late for training, but was taken off it after signing a new contract just days before it emerged he had failed the drugs test.

Now Warnock has swooped in to offer him the chance to resurrect his career at Loftus Road.

"It's the third time I've signed Paddy and I'm delighted to be linking up with him again," said Warnock.

"There were times when it was him or Shay Given for the Irish spot, and in my opinion Paddy didn't get the recognition he deserved. It's well known he's made mistakes in the past but he'll be a great capture for QPR, and I'm sure he's going to be popular in the changing room and with our fans."

Kenny's departure means a new goalkeeper becomes the priority for Blades manager Kevin Blackwell this summer.

In Kenny's absence last year he had to bring a number of young goalkeepers in on loan from Premier League clubs, Mark Bunn of Blackburn Rovers and Steve Simonsen of Stoke City among them.

Simonsen played seven times during a one-month loan spell towards the end of the season and the 31-year-old could be the man Blackwell now turns to as he looks for somebody to establish themselves as the No 1 goalkeeper.