No one in the QPR camp had reason to celebrate the 1-0 defeat to Charlton at the end of February - but it earned Richard Dunne another one-year contract.

The central defender came clean this week that under the terms of his deal, an extension clause was triggered when he reached 30 games. It just happened to be on a down day in The Valley.

Of course, the 34-year-old hopes next year will find Hoops in the Premier League, and he is not the only one sorted for next season.

Manager Harry Redknapp revealed the club will open talks with keeper Robert Green to keep him at Loftus Road, with Clint Hill likely to line up alongside Dunne in defence.

The Irish international said: “I’ve a contract for next season that got activated after 30 games, and over the next few weeks I hope it will end up with us in the Premier League.”

Video Loading

Depending on results elsewhere, Rangers will be guaranteed a play-off spot on Saturday if they win at Bournemouth, but get a second bite of the cherry, pun intended, at Blackburn on Tuesday.

However, Dunne insists a coast to the play-offs next month, barring the miracle of Hoops automatic promotion, would be counter-productive if they want a day to remember at Wembley on May 24.

He said: “If we make it, the semis and final are spread out, so there is plenty of recovery time.

“And it’s important we go in on a good run and don’t allow results to drop off. You don’t want to be scraping in just sixth, and thinking we’ll be all right in the semi and the final.

“We need to build confidence and belief. But as regards who we play there, I don’t particularly have a preference.”

Dunne reached down to a wooden floor when reminded he was all but injury free this season in contrast to a wrecked last campaign at Aston Villa.

The defender missed 2012-13 with a groin injury, and admitted he now has to be held back from training on certain days.

He explained: “l’ll want to go out, on say, a Monday, but the doctor will say: ‘have a day off, we just don’t think it’s right.’

“But when something you’ve done for so long is taken away and you get a second chance, it makes you want to play more.

“If you’re told by three different doctors you’ll struggle to come back, and you wake up the next day and have another chance, you grab it with both hands and try your best to play in the Premier League again.”