Darnell Furlong has vowed to put QPR off buying another right-back by playing out of his skin pre-season.
The teenager wants the slot for himself to kick-on from a baptism of fire in the Premier League last year.
Even though Rs are eyeing up Ryan Taylor at Newcastle and Ryan Fredericks at Spurs, Furs reckons this could be his season.
The son of Rs legend Paul, the 18-year-old reckons the Championship offers him better opportunities to develop than getting a hard time from the likes of Yannick Bolasie at Crystal Palace in March.
Furlong had a decent debut against Hull in February, but by his own admission was on the receiving end in his next two games against Arsenal and Palace.
That was then, this is now, and now is when Furlong believes he can make his mark. The youngster featured in both pre-season games so far, including a narrow defeat to Champions League Monaco last night in Italy.
“I’ve got try and earn a place in the team now or in the future,” he said. “I hope this is my season. The Premier League’s a much harder league, but the Championship’s no mess around either.
“I’m not bothered about the physicality. You come across the same in the U21s. It’s more about the speed of the game and I hope it benefits me being young.”
Furlong still lives at home in a house where football chat is 24/7, and unsurprisingly cites his dad who played 171 games for QPR in the ‘noughties’ as a massive influence, and one who keeps junior’s feet planted firmly on the ground.
“The best bit of advice he gave me was to be humble and respect the opportunity that’s come - not just for those games last season - but since I was young,” Darnell added
“He’s done it before, and he gives me a little pointers.
“I live at home. It’s all I’ve ever known so it’s no different to me. I have a little sister and my mum’s begging she doesn’t get into it as well.”
The one drawback it seems is being the second ‘Furs’ in Rs world.
Darnell added: “It feels a bit weird being called Furs, because my dad was called that before me.”
