A former St Ives Town footballer has continued his meteoric rise with a multi-million pound transfer today.

Conor Washington has joined Championship club Queens Park Rangers from League One side Peterborough for a fee reported to be in excess of £2.5 million.

It means the ex-postman will be playing in the second tier of English football less than three-and-a-half years after being spotted at Step 5 of the non-league system with Saints.

In an interview with www.qpr.co.uk, Washington said: “I still have to pinch myself every morning and going into training every day is special.

“I haven’t come through the most normal route, but it is one that more and more players will tread now.

“I know what it is like to go out and work, and it makes you appreciate everything more.”

Washington earned his first big break when snapped up by then-Conference club Newport County in October, 2012.

He helped the Welsh club win promotion into the Football League before earning a step up to League One side Peterborough in January, 2014 and spent two years there before clinching his latest transfer yesterday.

And Washington is relishing the prospect of learning from a fine striker in QPR manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

He added: “Having someone like Jimmy as manager was a massive pull for me.

“I know I’ve still got a long way to go in my development, but I’ve proved I can do it at every level I’ve played at so far, so I don’t see any reason why I can’t do it again.”

St Ives don’t stand to gain from Washington’s latest transfer. They did receive a one-off sell-on when he moved from Newport County to Posh two years ago.

That money was invested in the creation of the club’s own Scholarship programme which is now in its first year of operation.