QPR youngster Niko Hamalainen has signed a two-year contract extension at Loftus Road.
The 19-year-old left-back, who joined the R’s from FC Dallas Academy in the summer of 2014, made his first-team debut against Sunderland in the EFL Cup in September.
He has since made three league appearances for the club and is now under contract until 2019.
“It’s great that QPR sees a future in me,” Hamalainen told QPR’s website.
“Hopefully I can keep performing as I have been, and just get better and better.”
Hamalainen added that he has been learning from left-backs Jake Bidwell and Jack Robinson, who are both currently ahead of him in the pecking order.
Bidwell is back in the squad for Saturday’s trip to Ipswich after two months out with a shoulder injury.
Robinson is unavailable for the game because of a hamstring problem but the injury does not appear to be serious.
“They both really help me, and give me a lot of advice with shape, how far off the centre-back I need to be, and different things like that,” Hamalainen said.
“They have got lots of experience so it’s great for me to train with them and learn from them.”