Dashun Cooper has a lot on his plate these days at Sky Bet Championship outfit Queens Park Rangers.

Initially appointed as a full-time academy goalkeeping coach, the Bermudian’s duties have since increased after he was named as head goalkeeping coach of the QPR women’s team.

Cooper is honoured to serve in his new capacity and is looking forward to the challenge of coping with the pressures associated with first-team football.

“I am very honoured because being at any first team is being in the business end of football,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“You have to perform, get over results quickly and move on to the next one, so it’s a challenge and there’s pressure attached to it, but it’s a privilege and one that I’m grateful for.

“I am very excited and looking forward to the challenges associated with the role. The realm of first-team football is night and day to youth football, so it’s an exciting challenge.”

The former X-Roads and BAA goalkeeper occasionally works with QPR’s men’s first-team goalkeepers and he is embracing the heavy workload as he settles into his new role.

“I have already been challenged and will continued to be challenged with the goalkeeping side of things,” Cooper said.

“Things like managing the group in regards to their expectations and roles and also delivering set-pieces is a challenge and pressure in itself, but I have to be brave and stay out of my comfort zone.

“The biggest challenge is just staying on top of everything such as pre and postmatch analysis, delivering set-pieces, managing the goalkeepers on and off the field and not to mention managing myself. I’m putting in tons of hours at the moment so I have to be smart about how I manage myself with recovery and time off.

“The transition has been pretty rough, if I’m hones with some long nights and early mornings because of the two roles, but that’s the life.”

Cooper concedes to being a little surprised at being offered the chance to work with the women’s first team.

“I spent a few weeks with them last season, covering a few sessions and matches and I found it quite enjoyable, so when the club offered it, in my head I said ‘wow, OK’,” he said.

QPR Women are off to a good start to the season with three wins from their opening four league matches. They are fourth in the FA Women’s National League Division One South on nine points, level with Norwich City and Cambridge United.

Cooper has been pleased with the progress and is happy with the way the campaign has begun.

“So far so good,” Cooper said. “I think we managed preseason quite well and entered the season well. We just have to take it one game at a time, keep working and keep moving.”

Morale is high in the camp after QPR picked up their third league win last weekend courtesy of a 2-0 triumph over Chesham United.

“That was another big win and it was also nice to add a clean sheet to it,” Cooper said.

“We’ll be looking to do the same against Dulwich Hamlet in the league this week and be better than last week against Chesham.”

Cooper, who has previous experience as a goalkeeper coach with Premier League side Crystal Palace and was head of goalkeeping at non-League Hartley Wintney and the Independent Development Academy in Reading, is impressed by the standard of football in the league.

“I’s pretty high,” he said. “From what I’ve seen of our team and others, there’s a good bit of quality in this league, and I think it’ll be competitive this season

Cooper already has experience working at youth and senior national levels in Bermuda and would love to do so again if given the opportunity.

“It’s nothing like representing your country and I’d love to do it again, especially with the bits I’ve picked up over the years,” he said.