Southampton have completed the signing of Burnley defender Wayne Thomas in a ?million deal.

The 28-year-old centre-half has signed a three-year contract after passing a medical at St Mary's.

Saints manager George Burley said: "Wayne is an experienced defender who has played a lot of games for Stoke and Burnley over the last five or six years and he is a player I have admired for a long time.

"I tried to get him at Derby but just missed out because at the time we couldn't buy anyone.

"I was aware Wayne wanted a new challenge and I'm delighted to have got him. We had to pay a lot of money but letting Pele join West Brom enabled us to do that.

"We were looking for a leader and an organiser with experience in this league and he has that sort of toughness. There are not many in that category."

The Clarets have moved swiftly to fill the void left by Thomas' departure by signing Watford defender Clarke Carlisle for a fee of ?50,000.

The 27-year-old has penned a three-year deal at Turf Moor and Hornets boss Adrian Boothroyd said: "It is a good piece of business for the club, as the fee we will get is double what we paid for him two years ago, and we are well covered at centre-back.

"Clarke is a brilliant guy, and if his football ability matched his personality, he would be captain of England.

"But it is important for him to get the opportunity to play as many games as he can at his age, and I couldn't have guaranteed him that here."

Southampton have reacted angrily to reports suggesting they want Derby defender Darren Moore as part of a proposed deal to take striker Kenwyne Jones to Pride Park.

Saints manager George Burley insists he has no intention of losing Trinidad & Tobago international Jones, 22, despite Derby offering upwards of ?million for his services.

Reports have now emerged suggesting Burley, whose squad is short of defenders following the summer departures of Gareth Bale and Chris Baird and an injury to Claus Lundekvam, could be tempted by the chance to sign Rams centre-half Moore.

But Southampton remain adamant Jones, who hit 16 goals last season to help guide Saints' into the play-offs where they were beaten by Derby, is going nowhere.

Operations director Lee Hoos told the club's official website: "I don't know where this story has come from. We have not asked for Darren Moore and George Burley has indicated he does not want to sell the player - and the board has backed him fully.

"We want Kenwyne to stay and we expect him to remain a Southampton player when the transfer window closes on September 1. Any bids would be unwelcome and that will not change. We just want the whole issue to die down as it can be unsettling for the player, the team and the fans."

Southampton claimed an easy victory over QPR in a match which would have proved uncomfortable viewing for Rangers' prospective joint-owner Flavio Briatore.

Rangers announced that Renault Formula One boss Briatore - who watched the game from the directors boss before leaving his seat 10 minutes from full-time - and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone had made "a recommended offer" to complete a takeover of the Coca-Cola Championship club.

But two goals from Grzegorz Rasiak and a third from Bradley Wright-Phillips proves there is plenty of work to be done.

It was Rangers' first match since the death of forward Ray Jones, who would have celebrated his 19th birthday last Tuesday.

Jones and two other teenagers, Idris Olasupo and Jess Basilva, were killed in a car accident in east London in the early hours of last Saturday, and his former team-mates' shirts carried Jones' name on the back.

There was a minute's applause before kick-off for Jones, while flowers, cards and Rangers shirts containing messages of condolence were left outside Loftus Road.

Chairman Gianni Paladini laid a wreath in the centre circle before kick-off, and members of Jones' family stood on the pitch for the minute's applause.

After a scrappy start to the match, Saints took the lead in the 18th minute.

Wayne Thomas saw his shot tipped over the bar by Lee Camp, and from Youssef Safri's resulting corner, Rasiak climbed the highest to head in at the far post.

The home side almost went 2-0 down in the 33rd minute when Damion Stewart's underhit back-pass let in Rasiak, but after rounding Camp, the Pole opted to shoot rather than pick out the unmarked Nathan Dyer, and the grateful Camp saved with his legs.

Four minutes before the break, the lively Dyer teed up Rasiak, but Rasiak slipped as he prepared to beat Camp, and he could only shoot over the top after recovering his balance.

Southampton scored their second in the 45th minute when the excellent Jhon Viafara charged through the middle before being brought down by Camp as he was through on goal, but Rasiak was there to slot the ball in after referee Mike Thorpe played the advantage.

Camp was lucky only to be booked by for his foul on Viafara, and the goalkeeper then appeared to handle Andrew Surman's chip outside his area in stoppage time, but was not punished by Thorpe.

After half-time, Saints picked up where they had left off, with Dyer - always a threat on the right - crossing for the unmarked Wright-Phillips to head past Camp four minutes after the re-start.

Rasiak was close to his hat-trick in the 75th minute when he lobbed Camp, but was denied by Stewart's goal-line clearance, and seconds later Rasiak's close-range header was pushed over by Camp.

Saints boss George Burley was able to give debuts to second-half substitutes Jason Euell and Stern John, who would have scored but for substitute Danny Cullip's last-ditch tackle.

Teams:

QPR Camp, Curtis, Stewart, Mancienne (Cullip 84), Barker,Rowlands, Leigertwood, Bolder, Ephraim,Blackstock (Nygaard 69), Sahar (Nardiello 69).

Subs Not Used: Cole, Bignot.

Booked: Camp, Cullip.

Southampton Davis, Wright, Thomas, Makin, Vignal, Dyer,Viafara, Safri, Surman (Euell 64),Wright-Phillips (Saganowski 73), Rasiak (John 83).

Subs Not Used: Bialkowski, Ostlund.

Goals: Rasiak 18, 45, Wright-Phillips 49.

Att: 15,560

Ref: Mike Thorpe (Suffolk).