Youngster Armstrong targeting QPR first-team place

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Fresh from his second goal in as many games for National League side Aldershot Town, Sinclair Armstrong is targeting a place in the QPR first team next season.

The powerful 18-year-old from Dublin, who joined Rangers from Shamrock Rovers 18 months ago, enjoyed a successful loan spell at Torquay before being recalled after Christmas and named on the bench for Rangers’ FA Cup tie against Rotherham.

However, a knee injury and then concussion sidelined him for almost two months before he joined the Shots in April for his second stint in the National League.

The highlight of his brief spell at the EBB Stadium has been the stunning 25-yard goal he scored in a 3-1 win over high-flying Notts County last Saturday that helped secure the club’s status in the fifth tier of English football.

Armstrong then found the net again in Monday’s 2-2 draw with Maidenhead United before limping off with heavy cramp midway through the second half.

Aldershot boss Mark Molesley, the former Southend United manager, has been impressed with the impact Armstrong has made in just three games and believes the Republic of Ireland Under-19 international has a big future ahead of him.

“His physicality stands out beyond his years, he’s got a couple of goals, and on his debut for us against Bromley he was very unlucky not to get on the scoresheet,” Molesley said.

“He puts the fear up defenders, is an aggressive runner and he wants to score goals.

“He is a very focused and determined lad and I am sure QPR have a very good player on their hands. He is certainly a young man on a mission to make a career for himself.

“The National League is a really strong level and if he is doing it at this level he is doing it at League Two.

“He’s scored against Notts County and now Maidenhead two days later and had to face two different teams playing two completely different styles in quick succession and found a way to have success.

“We’re very fortunate to have a very good relationship with QPR and are indebted to them for trusting us with one of their prized young assets.”

As part of the deal that took him to Aldershot, Rangers insisted Armstrong remained at their Harlington training base to train with the first team during the week and link up with Molesley’s squad 24 hours before a matchday.

“From QPR’s point of view, balance was key for them,” Molesley said.

“They want him in-house around their coaching set-up so their coaches can work with this lad.

“But the National League games give him that competitive edge that a player needs.

“Although he is only 18, he has probably outgrown Under-23s football already.”

Life skills

Armstrong admits he has had to grow up fast since moving to London but said moving down to Torquay for three months was a huge step forward in his development.

“When I went over to Torquay I didn’t even know how to cook, and when you are there on your own you learn these life skills that you need when you grow up,” Armstrong told West London Sport.

“I am with Aldershot now and it has been decent so far. I’m just trying to get in the starting 11 each game and score goals.

“It has been a bit stop-start for me since January with injuries, and although I went off against Maidenhead with cramp, which was frustrating, I am back.”

Armstrong says watching the likes Charlie Austin and Andre Gray closely has been a huge help and demonstrated what level he needs to be if he wants to break into the QPR first team.

“When you are training with these guys, and they know your name, you feel blessed and it’s an amazing opportunity,” he said.

“I just have to be a sponge and soak it all up because I am so young.

“For instance, just watching the way Charlie strikes the ball, I just take some of the things he does and try and take them into my game and they are all good lads as well which is also a great thing for me.

“When I train with the first team we do finishing practice and these are lads that played in the Premier League and anything they tell me I take it on board.

“For me it is all about getting into the QPR first team. I put my heart into training each day and I need to show I am good enough and hopefully my chance will come, and who knows what will happen next season.”

Despite not getting the chance to make his debut under exiting Rangers boss Mark Warburton, Armstrong insists he will be sorry to see him leave the club after Saturday’s match at Swansea.

“The gaffer was really good to me around the first team,” he said.

“He is always giving me little bits of advice about my movement and it is sad to see him go as he’s done a really good job for the club over the last three years.”

See also: Behind-the-scenes tensions meant Warburton was finished at QPR once results went against him