When QPR decided to send Murphy Cooper on loan to Sheffield Wednesday during the January transfer window, it appeared to be a fantastic move for the goalkeeper.

Despite the Owls’ problems, they were a step up for the stopper, who has spent the entirety of his short career in the minor leagues.

Cooper has progressed from the National League South with Welling to League One with Barnsley, with numerous loan spells in between, but the move to Wednesday was always going to be the most significant for the 24-year-old.

Murphy Cooper impressed for Sheffield Wednesday.

However, the early indicators suggest it may be the making of the keeper, and QPR will be pleased with what they’re seeing from the academy graduate, even if it’s still early in his career at Hillsborough.

With the Owls facing relegation and losing most weeks, Cooper knows he has a lot of work to do before each game.

While he has yet to help Wednesday earn a point, this has been due to their offensive, with Henrik Pedersen failing to score during that time.

Nonetheless, they remain very competitive, and Cooper has contributed significantly to this, as evidenced by his 75.9% save percentage over the last five games.

To put that into context, he would be among the league’s best keepers in that regard, despite the fact that he has a very small sample size when compared to the other stoppers.

Another statistic that highlights Cooper’s effect is the xGA, which calculates the number of goals he would have conceded. Cooper has outperformed by 2.45 in his five games for Yorkshire, despite conceding seven times.

Furthermore, Cooper passed the eye exam for those who witnessed his birth on Wednesday. As previously stated, the team is suffering, but he has brought some authority between the sticks. He is an excellent shot stopper, eager to come off his line, and appears to communicate effectively with his defense.

QPR will have big hopes for Murphy Cooper.

The great issue for Cooper is to sustain this form over a longer period of time, and it will be intriguing to watch if he can keep these standards during his time with Wednesday.

If he succeeds, it will undoubtedly get QPR officials talking, as the goalkeeping position has been a source of contention for the London club.

Paul Nardi, Ben Hamer, and Joe Walsh have all appeared in several games for Julien Stephan this season, and while some of it is due to injury concerns, with Walsh being ranked first, the reality is that none of them have actually impressed.

As a result, it is something QPR will have to address this summer, and Cooper will have to factor into their plans.

The fact that the R’s were willing to loan him out, thus putting him fourth-choice, showed that he would face a difficult battle to secure a future with QPR, especially given his age.

But that’s the idea of loan spells, and it’s often a matter of sink or swim.

Again, it’s early days for Cooper at Sheffield Wednesday, but he appears to be seizing the opportunity.

Now it’s about continuing to play for the Owls, and if he does, it wouldn’t be surprising if he finds himself as QPR’s number one in August, which seemed impossible only a few weeks ago.