Danny Simpson hopes to make it a hat-trick of Championship titles with QPR next season – but has warned his Rangers team-mates that achieving promotion will be no easy task.

Defender Simpson, 26, has twice helped his team to win English football’s second tier: with Sunderland in 2007, and with Newcastle United in 2010.

He is now aiming to repeat the trick with Rangers as they look to bounce back into the Premier League at the first attempt after last season’s relegation.

However, Simpson, who played 41 times for Newcastle during their title-winning 2009-10 season, says a positive mindset will be crucial as the games begin to come thick and fast.

“The players we have got in the group, the manager, and obviously Steve [McClaren] has joined, if we pull together I’m sure we can get back into the Premier League,” he said.

“That is my aim. I have been in this position before with Newcastle and with Sunderland. It is vital you have good team spirit.”

QPR begin their season at home to Sheffield Wednesday on August 3, and by the end of the month will already have racked up trips to Huddersfield, Bolton and Leeds, as well as a League Cup tie away at Exeter City, and Simpson says a good start will be crucial.

He added: “You need to go on a good run, that’s a big part of it, you need to get off to a flying start. Things carry on from there.

“You play on Saturday and then you travel in the rain to play on a Tuesday night away at tough grounds against teams fighting for points. That’s a tough thing.

“You need to make sure you have a good team spirit and every game work as hard as you can. Will it be a culture shock? Maybe. I can only speak for myself. Whoever we are playing against, home or away, there are no excuses.”