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The rising star put pen to paper on a new contract at Loftus Road in January with transfer rumours swirling.
QPR youngster Emmerson Sutton has opened up on the ‘surreal moment’ he signed his first professional contract with QPR in January.
The 18-year-old had been linked with a move to Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea in January with the London clubs monitoring his progress coming through the ranks in the youth system at Loftus Road. Manchester City, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Brighton were all also named as potential suitors for the teenager at the time.
How much weight those rumours, reported by TBR Football, had is unknown but the midfielder is clearly a star on the rise with QPR working quickly to ensure that he continues to progress with the Championship side. Sutton signed his first professional contract with QPR at the end of January.
QPR youngster takes next ‘step on very long ladder’
Speaking in a new video shared by QPR, the EFL and Two Thunder, Sutton said: “It’s always been football from a young age. All I remember from my childhood was basically wake up, play football. Me and my uncle used the wall outside Hither Green station. I’d be volleying the ball against the wall at 10 pm when everyone was in bed. I’d be with my uncle training. There were no spare moments, it’s the hours people didn’t see that made me better.
“Signing professional is obviously a surreal moment and what you work for. It’s a great moment but the hard work starts now. With where I want to get to and the peaks I want to climb, this is just another step on a very long ladder.”
Sutton bagged a hat-trick in the FA Youth Cup against Arsenal this year, taking the match to penalties, which QPR lost 4-2 in the shoot-out. Last October, the player joined local Southern League Premier South side Hanwell Town on a month long work experience loan.
That move came after the player impressed against Hanwell Town in pre-season friendly action for the Development Squad - he was praised for his ‘spirited pressing’, which led to the first goal in a 3-1 R’s win, by the club website. The midfielder has been in the Loftus Road youth set-up since under-12 level and can play both as a number 10 and a winger.
QPR ‘delighted’ with Emmerson Sutton contract
A club bio of Sutton reads: “Emmerson Sutton joined QPR at Under-12 level. He hails from Lewisham. A versatile midfield player, Emmerson’s strengths include his dribbling and defending. The highlight of his career so far has been scoring three goals in a district final and subsequently being scouted by QPR. Emmerson cites his uncle as the greatest influence on him to date.”
When signing his professional deal, QPR CEO Christian Nourry added: “We’re delighted to kick off the next round of professional deals for our academy boys with Emmerson’s signing today.
“Emmerson is a dangerous and exciting attacker whose level of physicality has much improved over the last six months, which owes a lot to his loan spell at Hanwell and significant minutes with the Development Squad so far this season.”
In other news, QPR star Ronnie Edwards has been called up to the England under-21 squad as a late addition this week.