QPR midfielder Stephen Duke-McKenna is reportedly set to join National League side Torquay United on loan.
The 21-year-old has struggled for first-team football for the R’s so far this season, and the club are looking to give the player some valuable game time over the next several months.
Duke-McKenna began his career at Everton, where he made his way through the club’s youth ranks from the age of eleven. Despite playing no first-team football for the Toffees, he was named once on the bench in a Europa League group stage game against Cypriot side Apollon Limassol.
In 2018, the Guyanese playmaker signed a professional contract with Bolton Wanderers. Over the course of the season, he played for the Lancashire side’s development squad in the Professional Development League. He made no senior appearances for the club, however, and after the campaign had finished he joined the Hoops in the summer of 2019.
Duke-McKenna made his professional debut last season, coming off the bench as an 86th minute substitute in a 2-1 win over Middlesbrough. He has since featured in three EFL Cup games for the London outfit, most recently scoring in a penalty shootout win against his former Merseyside club.
But if a deal to Torquay goes through, this will be the second QPR youngster to arrive at the club this season. The Gulls had previously taken on Under-23s striker Sinclair Armstrong on a loan deal, who scored two goals in eight league games for the club.
Duke-McKenna is set to join a side sat 12th in the National League, ten points off the play-off places. It seems to be a smart move for the Guyana international, who will gain some quality first-team experience which is crucial to his individual development.
