SWINDON Town have made the club's first summer signing in the shape of Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Murphy Mahoney.

The 21-year-old has arrived in Wiltshire on a season-long loan from Championship QPR - having previously been linked - and will compete with fellow stopper Conor Brann for the number one shirt as things stand.

Reading-born Mahoney has progressed all the way through QPR's academy system after joining from Wycombe Wanderers' set-up in 2012 aged 10.

In 2021, the year after graduating into the R's Under-21 side, Mahoney experienced his first taste of senior football when briefly playing for Stratford Town in the Southern League.

He later went on to feature for both Welling United and Bath City in National League South across two more short stints away from west London.

In August and September 2021, Mahoney played five games for Welling - conceding 15 goals. During his two games for Bath in October and November, the 21-year-old saw seven shots beat him.

Towards the end of the 2021-22 campaign, Mahoney made his senior debut for the R's in a 2-1 defeat away to Preston North End after an injury to Kieron Westwood in the warm up. It was the first of two Championship outings for Mahoney so far, as the young stopper later featured in a 3-1 reverse against Sheffield United.

Mahoney only has one year remaining on his current QPR contract and will be desperate to impress his parent club through a string of consistently-high performances at Swindon if he is to earn a renewal offer.

Speaking to Town’s media team, Murphy said: “I am absolutely delighted to be here.

"Ever since I knew there was interest from Swindon, I was just itching to get down here and now I’m buzzing to be here.

“Michael was a massive influence in coming to Swindon, and ever since I had conversations with the manager and Mildy [Steve Mildenhall], I just knew I wanted to be a part of it.”

Town’s manager, Michael Flynn, said: “Murphy is someone I tracked whilst I was at Walsall.

"I’ve watched a lot of his games and his attitude is unbelievable. He has played Championship games and a few loan spells, and he is highly thought of at Queens Park Rangers. Charlie [Austin] remembers him from his spell at Loftus Road.

"Murphy is somebody who will drive standards every day in training and I can’t wait to start working with him.”