Alex McCarthy is disproving the old adage that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks by giving R’s No 1 Rob Green a few pointers.

The 24-year-old arrived at Loftus Road in the summer on a four-year contract from Championship outfit Reading.

Green, a former England international who has re-emerged as first-choice following the departure of Julio Cesar, stands in his way in the battle for the Rangers gloves.

(Image: Eddie Greville)

McCarthy though is one for the future and is still waiting for his first appearance between the sticks in a QPR shirt.

He already has Three Lions caps at U21s level and Hoops manager Harry Redknapp reckons he is destined for the full international setup in the coming years.

Most people would expect Green, a fountain of knowledge, to be imparting everything he knows onto the young pretender.

However, the 34-year-old has revealed it is often the grasshopper teaching the master a new trick or two.

“Crikey, he tutors me as well,” explained Green.

“You’re learning lessons off each other all the time. He’s a great lad who has got bags of potential. He’s stepped up his training and his work within the club, coming up to speed with everyone. I think he’s a tremendous acquisition.

(Image: Action Images / Henry Browne)

“I can understand and appreciate competition within a club. Having a keeper who is 10 years your junior as your competition, who wants to strive to get where you are and where you’ve been, it’s fantastic competition to have. In that respect he’s a great addition.

“The club have singled out someone who has the potential to go on and do great things.”

Learning your trade from some of your team’s more experienced old heads is all part of progressing as a player.

Green was no different as he came up through the ranks at Norwich and faced a similar challenge to the one McCarthy is now starting out on.

“I had a couple when I was 24, I’d probably played about 400 games by then though,” Green joked.

“When I first went to Norwich Bryan Gunn was there and Andy Marshall took over.

“Gunny must have been 15 years my senior, probably a bit more even, and Marshall was a great professional and goalkeeper.

“When you’ve got people like that, you learn so much off them that you’d like to think that they learnt a few things off me as well, as I do off Alex.”

QPR return to Premier League with the visit of Liverpool to Loftus Road this weekend.