 Dowie recommended Carlisle to Queens Park Rangers manager Gerry Francis , who paid a transfer fee of £ 250 @,@ 000 to sign him on 25 May 2000 . He played his first game for the side on 12 August 2000 in the 0 – 0 draw with Birmingham City at Loftus Road . He made a further 31 appearances in the 2000 – 01 season and scored three times , earning himself a call @-@ up to the England national under @-@ 21 team . However , his season was cut short on 31 January 2001 , when he suffered his first major injury after a tackle by Rufus Brevett during the 2 – 0 defeat to Fulham . It was found that Carlisle had torn his posterior cruciate ligament , an injury which kept him sidelined for a year and caused doctors to believe that his career might be over . While he was out of action , Queens Park Rangers suffered relegation to the Second Division after finishing 23rd in the league . Soon after the injury he attempted suicide , and years later was diagnosed with major depressive disorder . Upon his return to football , Carlisle was injured again in a reserve team match against Bristol City , sparking fears that he had aggravated his previous injury . The damage proved not to be particularly severe , although it delayed his return to training by a further month . 
