GIVE MORGAN A BREAK, SAYS BOSS MARTIN

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RUSSELL MARTIN put the person before the player as he protected unsettled winger Morgan Whittaker from the fallout of the transfer window.

Whittaker was set to be on the bench at QPR but told Swansea boss Martin on Friday that he was not in the right frame of mind to travel amid interest from Rangers.

Their £900,000 bid is well below the club’s valuation for the 21-year-old who was recently recalled from a successful loan spell at Plymouth and has yet to feature for the Swans this season.

Martin slammed the FIFA rule which allows players to appear for only two clubs in the same season – which may have influenced Whittaker’s decision – for stunting the progress of young talent.

But his main focus was the player’s wellbeing and that he is given the time and help he needs.

Martin (top) said: “I would have loved to have him in the squad, but I don’t hold any anger or animosity towards him.

“I respect him as a person before a player and he has had a difficult couple of weeks.

“I am sure there are people saying, ‘Get him out of the club, he doesn’t want to play for us’, but it is never that simple really.

“Fundamentally the game has been a little bit broken so we try to treat our players differently to what has happened in the past because they are people, not just football players.”

QPR striker Lyndon Dykes wanted to play despite interest from Stoke and Millwall and after being sick at half-time.

His exit on the hour paved the way for Swansea to snatch a 15th point from a losing position this term, courtesy of Jay Fulton’s 81st-minute strike from the edge of the box. QPR should have been out of sight by then.

Former Swans winger Jamal Lowe missed two golden chances after his low angled drive opened the scoring in the 27th minute.

Hoops boss Neil Critchley said: “We have had a bid for Lyndon but it doesn’t meet our evaluation.

“His performance spoke volumes about him and the type of character is.”