Queens Park Rangers head coach Marti Cifuentes has revealed that new signing Ronnie Edwards is ready to play despite his lack of minutes this season.
The 21-year-old earned a move to the Premier League with Southampton in the summer from Peterborough United for a fee believed to be around £3 million. However, he has struggled for minutes and has made just one substitute league appearance.
The Saints made the decision to allow the defender to move to the Championship in search of first team football this month, and he joined QPR on New Year’s Day. Cifuentes’ team have struggled with injuries across their back line as of late, with the likes of Steve Cook, Liam Morrison and Jake Clarke-Salter all having spent time on the sidelines.
Edwards ‘Ready To Contribute’
Edwards broke into the Peterborough side as a teenager, playing 34 times in the Championship during the 2021/22 season. Following Posh’s relegation in the same year, he became a key player in League One, making the Team of the Year last season.
Although his time on the pitch has been limited at St Mary’s, Hoops boss Cifuentes believes his new loan signing will have benefitted from the high level of training at Southampton. Speaking to official club media ahead of Monday’s clash against Luton Town, the 42-year-old said:
“He came in very good shape and we know he has been training at a high level with Southampton,” he said.
“He has been showing a great level in training, he is very motivated and ready to contribute, so it is definitely good news that we have got a good player so early in the window to help us in a position where we have been suffering a bit with injuries.
“Finding solutions, (Morgan) Foxy and Jimmy (Dunne) have done amazing in the last couple of games, Jake (Clarke-Salter) is back and getting the rhythm is important because he is a very important player for us.
“Then to have the addition of Ronnie will give us this stability and give as well time for Cook and Liam to be back in the best condition.”
Writer’s View
Edwards is a player that will have been on the radar of a number of Championship clubs, so for QPR to get the deal over the line quickly is a shrewd piece of business. Despite his young age, he has experience in this division and has already made over 140 senior appearances. The Londoners have been in fine form as of late, pulling themselves away from bottom three. Having a player of Edwards’ ability for the remainder of the campaign is a huge boost to their survival chances.
Head of Writing
