Town are being linked with a move for Celtic central defender Darren O'Dea when the transfer window opens in January. The 21-year-old centre-half has failed to make a first team place his own at his club despite calls into Giovanni Trapattoni's full Ireland squad.

The 6ft 1in tall defender is the current skipper of the Irish U21 level and previously had a similar role with their U19s. The Dubliner came through the ranks at Celtic having played youth football at the famous Home Park club alongside Owen Garvan, Shane Supple and former Blue Michael Synnott and where Garvan's father is a coach.

Left-sided O'Dea recently played alongside Alex Bruce in the Irish fringe side which played Nottingham Forest, with Garvan also involved in the game.

Due to rules on cross-border moves, Town wouldn't be able to look at sighing O'Dea until the transfer window opens when a loan is said to be on the cards, although a permanent move is also claimed to be a possibility. The defender is currently contracted to Celtic until 2010 with an option of a further year.

Last week, reports in the Irish press called on O'Dea to move on from Celtic, where he has made just 19 starts and 13 sub appearances, scoring three goals, in order to fulfil his potential.

In August, O'Dea was fined £40 for a breach of the peace after an incident outside the Bamboo nightclub in Glasgow, which also involved team-mates Aiden McGeady and Scott Brown.

Meanwhile, former Blue Ian Westlake has finally completed his loan move from Leeds to Cheltenham, while long-term Town loan target David Nugent is wanted by QPR, just in time for their visit to Portman Road next week.

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