Captain Cook.

It seems to be a theme everywhere that Steve Cook plays that fans absolutely love the massive centre back, and his recent performances have shown exactly why Queens Park Rangers supporters are the latest to warm to the 32-year-old.

The defender netted crucial goals in both matches of the Easter double-header; with the equaliser in Rangers’ 2-1 victory over Birmingham City on Good Friday followed up with a thundering volley to take all three points against Swansea City three days later.

Those two victories have helped the Hoops move six points above the dreaded drop zone with just six matches remaining in the Championship season; something that would have been unimaginable a matter of months ago.

Cook has been fundamental to that turnaround in fortunes in recent weeks, with his goalscoring exploits at one end matched by his win-at-all-costs attitude while defending his own goal, and his wealth of experience has helped guide his team to within touching distance of safety.

You only have to go back to mid-January to see what a mess Rangers had got themselves into this season, with the club sitting five points from safety with just five wins to their name after 27 matches.

Eight games later and the Hoops had doubled their number of victories, with 17 points picked up from a possible 24 available helping them to climb out of the relegation places for the first time in 2024, albeit with a number of clubs within arms’ reach at the bottom of the table.

Cook was a one-man attack-stopping machine in those times, with his years of Premier League experience with AFC Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest coming to the fore exactly when his side needed it the most.

The defender contributed to shutouts against Millwall and Bristol City in that winning run, as well as a colossal performance as then-league leaders Leicester City were humbled 2-1 on their own turf, a win which bred even more confidence among the Rangers ranks.

With five blocked shots that day at the King Power, Cook showed just how crucial he can be at the back amid the relegation battle his side found themselves in, and has thrived in backs to-the wall situations when Championship survival has been on the line.

With just two defeats in his last 14 appearances, the defender has proved to be Marti Cifuentes’ rock he can rely on during the Spaniard’s spell at Loftus Road, with QPR having the ninth-best record in the league since the 41-year-old replaced Gareth Ainsworth in the dugout.

Only promotion-chasing Leeds United have a better defensive record in that time, with Rangers only conceding 25 goals in their 26 matches under their new boss' tutelage; further highlighting Cook's indispensable nature alongside Jake Clarke-Salter in defence.

With everything still so tight at the bottom of the table, Cook will be looking to lead his colleagues to Championship survival with six more strong performances before the season comes to an end, starting with the visit of Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

The Owls have been experiencing a revival of their own under Danny Röhl, although they still find themselves in the bottom three ahead of the weekend, with both sides knowing just how much a victory could change the course of their season.

Another crucial clash with Plymouth Argyle follows next Tuesday, before Cook’s credentials will be put to the test once more with showdowns against Hull City, Preston North End and Leeds United all to come, before ending the campaign away at Coventry City.

Despite their lowly league position, Rangers will know they are capable of going toe-to-toe with any side in the division in their current form, with that win against the Foxes the perfect example of that.

With their experienced defender guiding the back line they will have every confidence in keeping the opposition defence quiet in every match they face between now and the end of the campaign, and who knows, he might pop up with another thunderbolt to end the season in style.