Ronnie Edwards in action for QPR last season.placeholder image
Ronnie Edwards in action for QPR last season. | Getty Images
The former QPR loan man has been axed from the squad at Southampton by Tonda Eckert.
Southampton defender Ronnie Edwards was once again left out of the Saints matchday squad on Boxing Day as Tonda Eckert’s side fell to a 2-1 defeat against relegation threatened Oxford United.
The 22-year-old has now not featured for Southampton since December 6 and has only been handed seven minutes in the league across the side’s last 10 outings in the Championship. The centre-back had a run of matches in the starting XI between September and October but now appears to be an outcast at St Mary’s Stadium.
The England under-21 international remains highly rated by those in the EFL after a strong loan spell at QPR last term. At just 22 years old, Edwards’ continued absence has sparked rumours of a January exit from Southampton.
QPR credited with Ronnie Edwards transfer interest
Edwards’ versatility also saw him deployed as a defensive midfielder. Talk of QPR interest comes with Jake Clarke-Salter struggling to shake off his never-ending injury woes.
The R’s fielded Steve Cook and Jimmy Dunne as the central defence pairing against Portsmouth on Boxing Day but the former is 34 years old and set to see fewer and fewer minutes.
What Southampton defender has said about QPR
Edwards has let little slip about his future and emotions surrounding squad exclusions at Southampton, but had made his fondness for QPR clear while playing in London. Writing on social media platform Instagram as he left the side in the summer, he said: “Thank you to everyone at QPR for making my short time at the club so special, I’ve loved every minute of it. Wishing you all nothing but success moving forward. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the results and hopefully we see QPR back where you belong. It’s goodbye for now.”
The defender appeared to hint at an interest in returning to QPR with the ‘for now’ quote and has a special place for the outfit in his heart. When first arriving at Loftus Road, it was a desire for more game time that led the player to seek a loan move.
Edwards admitted to having family members who are supporters of QPR and, on signing, said: “There is so much potential, obviously it is a massive club. As soon as I heard, I was all over it. You can obviously wait until deadline day but as soon as I heard of this, I thought why not get started straight away?”
In other news, QPR Player Ratings: 'Stinker' 4/10 but 8 'saves the day' in Portsmouth draw.
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