New signing Alex McCarthy has revealed that he consulted with former Blue Connor Wickham before deciding to join Town on his three-month loan, which was confirmed this morning. The Reading goalkeeper, who will wear the number 32 shirt while at Portman Road, is set to make his debut at Birmingham on Wednesday.

McCarthy, whose move will officially go through on Tuesday, told the club site: "When I knew Ipswich were interested I had a little chat with Connor, who was obviously here, and he told me about how great the club is and how much I would enjoy it here.

"I know him through our time together with the England U21s and he just told me to get down to Ipswich because there are some great lads here and I would really enjoy it.

"Obviously I've come here to get some game time, but the main priority is to play my part in helping Ipswich move up the table."

The keeper tweeted that he had a very busy first day in Suffolk: "Haven't stopped all day, looking forward to a chilled evening!"

The 22-year-old, who has agreed a new contract with Reading until June 2015, is with the Blues until April 11th.

The Royals will have a 24-hour emergency recall option after the first month, as is usual with short-term loans.

Photos: Action Images, ITFC

Photo: Action Images

Michael11 added 20:08 - Jan 9 So yet another loan who joins the same day as signing a new 3 year deal (therefore no chance of a permanent deal) and where the player could possibly return back to Reading tomorrow! what is the point?!?! get somebody in permanently who wants to play for us!
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Buryblueboy added 20:16 - Jan 9 Irrespective of how good this guy is or may have the potential to ultimately be, god only knows what it will be doing for ALBs self-confidence as once this guy goes back we'll need to turn back to him to play in goal again. I'd have thought a much more pressing matter is to sort out a RB and CB asap. Big few weeks ahead for the medium term future of our beloved club.

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nytractorboy added 20:19 - Jan 9 Can someone please explian to me the purpose of what seems like a pointless loan? 3-months only with a 24-hour recall. Why 3-months and not until the end of the season? We'll be back to ALB and RW by mid April when we'll be fighting for our lives. Personally, I would have stuck with ALB.
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Tractastic added 20:27 - Jan 9 If you were ME would you trust Clegg and Jewell with spending your hard earned money? Therefore maybe ME is only prepared to let Jewell do these type of deals while he is lining up PJ's replacement? Surely its inevitable and ME is no fool? It all seems such a shambles and you wonder what will come out next.? Bullard loaned out to Norwich? i wouldn't put it past these clowns.

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roytheboy added 20:37 - Jan 9 I think you might have it right Tractastic it would not surprise me if Marcus Evans is already talking discreetly to Neil Warnock, rightly or wrongly ?
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Monarch_Blue added 20:42 - Jan 9 Leaves on 11th April....means we will have to find another keeper for the Play Offs!!!
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blueblood66 added 20:43 - Jan 9 Good luck to the lad, trying for game time, but does he know what he's let himself in for?
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Karlosfandangal added 20:45 - Jan 9 He has said the right things on here but his comments on twitter say a different story. Is only here to get games. No better than Stockdale and may be better than ALB and Wright. We leaked goals with Stockdale in goal so dont see how he will make any defferance to our position Leeds did not want him back so cant be that good
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howdonblue added 20:45 - Jan 9 24 hour call back nuff said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! will these clowns running our club ever learn
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ericgates added 21:11 - Jan 9 Oli Johnson anybody??
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davidsc1971 added 21:41 - Jan 9 I don't doubt what this kid can do, (presumably one of the scouts finally got on the bus to the Madejski the other week and saw him warming up or something) but I can't see the point in a 3 month loan when ALB is playing well enough and isn't half as bad as the stick he has got on these forums. We forget that even the England No 3 couldn't keep them out either. It seems to make much more sense to everyone except the manager to continue with ALB, but what do we all know? Unless PJ thinks ALB is suffering from dizziness or backache. Wouldn't surprise me really. However, welcome and best of luck - COYB

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bloooosman_malta added 21:53 - Jan 9 BRING IN WARNOCK!!
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bournemouthblue added 21:59 - Jan 9 It's not often you get loaned to not one but two club bigger more successful clubs than your current club. Whether the facilities off the pitch are more comparable is another issue altogether but he's certainly a lucky lad.
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since1990 added 22:18 - Jan 9 errrm . . . . 4 goal keepers in 1 season (which we're only half way through). Anyone know of any other team that's done this? Oh lord.
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john_itfc added 22:33 - Jan 9 Shocking Reading using town to test and match prepair their 2nd / 3rd choice keeper (whom I have no doubt is a nice bloke and a good quality athlete but Oh how we have fell). 24hr recall and he wont even make it untill the end of the season whats the point! We are losing our Identity were supposed be we a club who supports and nurtures the players we already have. ALB has proved many people wrong in some terrific performances that we were not expecting. And do we repay his hard work and patience by helping him develop into a solid number 1 or reliable quality second / alternative option for our future. Do we heck!

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blueherts added 22:37 - Jan 9 This really is a strange one - the last 'England future keeper ' we had not so long ago shipped , errr , how many goals , as many have said here this is frankly crazy - he signs a 3 year deal with Reading and then jogs over to us - I understand he was a great Centre/Right Back as a kid - maybe we have duped Reading - great one Jewell , now all we need are some perm signings - hold on , who are going to attract on a permanent basis when we could be playing Div One next year - sorry bit 'glass half full ' tonight but me thinks a RB , 2 CBs , Attacking and Holding midfielder and a striker would be better ( Murray is best of the lot IMO )

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lowtit added 23:04 - Jan 9 so what -
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truethurstonblue added 23:10 - Jan 9 What the hell is our club doing. He may be a good player...but he is not ours. Surely to God we could find an aspiring keeper in the lower leagues and sign him...then he would have a commitment to teh Blues and want to do well for himself and the club!
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airliner added 05:26 - Jan 10 very good keeper from what i have seen of him. He kept federicci out of reading team at the start of the season so must be reasonably good.
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EastAnglian added 06:42 - Jan 10 Given his interest in turnstiles perhaps we should name our CEO Clickety Clegg!!
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Pessimistic added 07:44 - Jan 10 This transcends all football logic to me but perhaps PJ knows something that we don't - although I am beginning to seriously doubt it these days sadly.
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WorcesterBlue added 07:52 - Jan 10 Yet another important part in PJ's long term plan for ITFC. You couldn't make it up!
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delias_cheesy_flaps added 08:16 - Jan 10 Pointless signing a goalie until the crock of shat in front of him has been sorted! Jewell just leave our club now!!! I'm sick of reading about your joke signings and even jokier team performances. Never want to see Ipswich lose a game but if we get spanked by Brum tonight perhaps our weirdo owner will finally boot you out of Town.
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ArnieMsBigToe added 09:01 - Jan 10 I am very sorry to say it, but what we need is relegation!! Norwich were in the same situation as us 2 or 3 years ago. They went down to division 1, got Lambert in, and look at them now. I personally feel sorry for PJ. I think he got sucked in to the call for immediate success. Aaron Cresswell was an excellent signing but I'm not so sure about the rest?? I have said it before and I'll say it again. RK was the manager who destroyed us. All I need do is remind us all of the sale of Jordan Rhodes. What on earth???

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walberswick added 09:11 - Jan 10 The only problem with getting rid of Jewelio is the selfish and gutless team he would leave behind. Who could motivate this squad with 16 players on short term contracts, all looking for a way out and a pay-off? ITFC are digging themselves into Div 1 without anyone else's help.
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