'Good work' - Newcastle United loanee praised in secret QPR debut

Newcastle United loanee Harrison Ashby made his unofficial debut for QPR in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Brentford on Thursday afternoon and was praised for his efforts.

The 22-year-old joined the R's on loan on Deadline Day, meaning he was unable to play in last Friday evening's win over Luton Town. With the international break currently pausing Championship fixtures, Ashby will have to wait until the trip to Sheffield Wednesday next weekend for his first competitive QPR outing.

However, the London outfit confirmed on Thursday that they had taken part in a friendly against West London rivals Brentford at the Bees' training ground. Supporters were given only the bare bones of a match report with what went on kept between the two sides, but the fixture finished in a 0-0 draw.

Ashby, who Newcastle United snapped up from West Ham in 2023, started the game for Marti Cifuentes' side. He was afforded just 60 minutes before being replaced by fellow new signing Karamoko Dembele, but that was long enough to make an impact.

As well as helping his side to a clean sheet, Ashby was praised for his work going forward by the match report on the official QPR website. The full-back teamed up with Hevertton Santos on the right flank to put on what sounded like a golden opportunity for midfielder Jack Colback thanks to a dangerous cross, labelled as 'good work'.

The chance to lead attacking moves from the back was one of the aspects that attracted Ashby to Loftus Road, he admitted when signing for QPR. The Magpies man said: “A big thing coming on loan is the style of football you are going to play. When you are on loan you want to improve, you want to get better and help the team. The setup here, I can definitely improve my game.”