Steve Cook sends message to QPR supporters as unique contract situation revealed | OneFootball

The veteran defender is remaining at Loftus Road thanks to a series of stipulations that have been met in his existing deal

QPR defender Steve Cook has addressed the club's fans after it was announced he is staying on at Loftus Road for at least another season.

The 34-year-old's contract was due to expire in west London at the end of this season, but it has now been confirmed by the club themselves that a unique appearance-based stipulation in his deal across two years has been triggered.

Cook needed to start in 60 Championship matches across the two-year period with the Hoops also maintaining their second tier status for a third year to kick in, and that is exactly what has happened.

Steve Cook's message to QPR fans after contract clause is triggered

Taking to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, following QPR's announcement, Cook delivered a message to the club's supporters revealing his excitement of staying for at least another year.

"Really happy to be staying," Cook wrote.

"I’ve loved every minute since I’ve been at the club and hopefully we can make some more memories."

Despite being in his mid-30's, Cook has been a key player for the R's at the heart of their defence since arriving in the summer of 2023.

Cook started 35 times in the 2023-24 season in the Championship after his move from Nottingham Forest, which went towards half of the 60 mark he needed to reach to take his contract into a third year at Loftus Road.

The experienced centre-half stayed fit for the majority of his first campaign at the R's, but he had a spell on the sidelines in 2024-25 after pulling up in December's 2-1 win over Preston North End - the diagnosis was a Plantar Fascia injury but it did not require surgery, and he was back in action within six weeks to continue working towards the amount of matches he needed.

Steve Cook's experience will be important at QPR with Jimmy Dunne set to exit

Despite his age and knowing he won't have too many years left at Championship level, Cook is a solid, dependable defender, although depending on who the new Hoops boss decides to bring in this summer could see him being more of a squad player than a regular starter.

More importantly though, Cook provides a been there and done it attitude within the dressing room, and he can be a good mentor for the younger R's players who are up and coming at Loftus Road.

They are also set to lose some experience from the back line this summer in the form of Jimmy Dunne, whose contract is set to run down and there has been little indication to suggest that he's going to sign fresh terms, so Cook will have to take more responsibility on next season.

It's hard to see Cook starting week in, week out and appearing in all 46 games at this stage of his career, but if you could back a player from the current QPR squad to do just that, he's got the attitude and application to do it.