Norwich City defender Sam McCallum is keen to get cracking following an illness that delayed his QPR bow, after sealing a season long loan move earlier this summer.

The 20-year-old only made his first appearance in last week’s League Cup win over Oxford at Loftus Road.

McCallum followed that up with a Championship start against first professional club Coventry City at the weekend in a 2-0 home victory.

The left-sided full back is yet to make a senior appearance for the Canaries, who he joined from Coventry in January 2020 before spending last season back on loan with the Sky Blues.

McCallum had his pick of a number of Championship suitors this time around, after impressing under Mark Robins, but the defender knows he needs to kick on at promotion-chasing QPR.

“The illness was so frustrating,” he said. “I actually said to the physios, ‘I’m not high maintenance, I promise’, but I haven’t stepped out of the physio room since I arrived. It was tough because I have never experienced missing football through illness or anything like that so it was difficult.

“I wanted to hit the ground running when I arrived but hopefully I can now kick on and get game time under my belt.

“It was great to make my debut. I loved it and the fans are unreal.”

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McCallum then played 85 minutes after his old club on Saturday in a victory that sees Mark Warburton’s side tucked in behind early pacesetters Fulham and West Brom.

“The gaffer has really drilled into everyone how he likes to play and the philosophy of the club,” said McCallum, speaking to QPR’s official site. “For me to make my league debut against Coventry was written in the stars.

"I owe a lot to them for bringing me in from non league and giving me that chance. I have a lot of respect for them.”