Town midfielder Luke Hyam, with a new contract recently signed and a first team place to currently call his own, is the living proof that dreams can come true. The former Northgate High School pupil remembers clearly how he used to sit in the Portman Road crowd telling himself ‘One day I’d love to be out there’.

Hyam, 20, was just one of thousands of young supporters up and down the country who share the same ambition of desperately wanting to play for their favourite teams.

However, with the influx of foreign talent into the English game fewer local kids seem to be emerging than ever before.

That is one of the reasons why supporters love to be able to cheer home-grown talent and if the youngsters who make it to first team level are also local then so much the better.

Hyam said: “I had a season ticket with my dad and my brother. We used to sit in the Britannia Stand and my favourite player was David Johnson, who was an excellent striker and scored a lot of goals.

“If I remember rightly the first game I actually attended was against Rotherham and I think we won 4-3. I just remember thinking how great it would be to one day be playing for Ipswich — and also thinking I probably would never get the chance!

“If becoming a professional footballer is an achievement in itself, in my view nothing beats playing for my local team. I suppose every player starts out with that ambition but they don’t all make it. As a former supporter, I can honestly say that playing for Ipswich means everything to me.”

Photo: Action Images

corunnaviking1759 added 12:04 - Feb 10 Great to hear from the lad, I wish a few more players would share his views!
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portmanking added 12:04 - Feb 10 Hmm, Lukey's telling porkies. First game was Rotherham, a good 3-4 years after Jonno had left for Forest!
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salforduniblue added 12:05 - Feb 10 Good lad. Been a bit of a revelation in recent weeks, that said I thought he looked good under Keane. If he keeps up his current levels and I don't think we'll see Leadbitter ever play again
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MazzaCOYB added 12:06 - Feb 10 What a great story! If I wasn't already very up for tomorrow's match I certainly am now! Come on you Blues! Good on you Luke and very well done!
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Johnhoz added 12:06 - Feb 10 I love Luke Hyam. He is the future. Saw him for the first time at Millwall in the league cup the other year and thought he was brilliant. Yes. Love.
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Reus30 added 12:13 - Feb 10 Rotherham was a great game, remember that game well. And loved David Johnson as a kid, and went to his first game when he was 12ish. It can happen
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heady added 12:13 - Feb 10 Still not totally convinced but hope he proves me wrong...
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Jnr1988 added 12:15 - Feb 10 This is what it should mean to pull on the shirt.....Wear the badge with pride.
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Keaneish added 12:19 - Feb 10 I think he echoes the sentiments of every man in a seat at Portman Road which is all we want from a player! Great noises coming out of PR at the moment! Looking forward to tomorrow now! Anyone sitting on the fence should get down there with the reduced prices and give us some decent noise for once!!
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Michael11 added 12:28 - Feb 10 Good on you Luke, this is what we've been lacking a bit of passion and hunger to wear the shirt! just need to produce a couple more Luke Hyam's and we'll be in business!
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Mark added 12:38 - Feb 10 It's always good to have a local lad in the team, and I think tomorrow's opponents Middlesbrough have about eight in their side! That's why I couldn't be too hard on the Portsmouth lads who didn't want to leave their home club to join us.
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algarvefan added 12:59 - Feb 10 This is how you get players who love their club & playing with pride! Please note Mr Evans, Clegg & Jewell, this is how Ipswich became a great club in the 70's & 80's and can do the same again!!!
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Brazils_Hair added 13:10 - Feb 10 Get a hatrick tomorrow Luke and I will start a pitch invasion! Have it! COYB!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Tractamatt added 13:11 - Feb 10 I can see that with players like Luke and Drury to compete with that this could be the last club that Bullard and Bowyer play for, they are both good squad players but apart from one or two flashes I have'nt seen anything that says they would be greatly missed.The future is blue the future is youth COYB
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irishtim added 13:16 - Feb 10 Like what you have to say Luke we need more of this . Local lads with heart & desire. @portmanking. He said his fav player David Johnson Didnt say he was playing that night.
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Strikes added 13:36 - Feb 10 Good man! He's one of our own. I used to dream metaphorically of playing for the Town, but the one time the team appeared in an actual dream I was playing against them at PR for my university in the FA Cup. The Uni were 5-0 down but I came on as a sub, rounded Craig Forrest and netted a consolation, much to the delight of the home fans who knew I was a lifelong fan. Not relevant, but it is Friday and I am surprisingly upbeat...

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Monkey_Blue added 13:38 - Feb 10 algarvefan... I would point out that the great players we had coming through the youth system in the era of Robson, weren't locals... Beattie was cumbria, Burley, Wark, Brazil were from glasgow/cumnock, Osman was from derbyshire, McCall from cumbria, geddis from cumbria, eric gates, Country durham, Mills was from surrey and was pompey before they abandoned their youth system. Of the tail end of that great youth system, cranson was north east i think, Brennan lancs. I guess the point I am making is that of notable youth graduates from that era only talbot, dozzell and Butcher were locals(I know TB was born in singapore, but grew up in lowestoft), so a great scouting network or/and great scouts are the secret.... being local would be great, but having locals make the first team wasn't the key to making us a sucess in those days...it was great scouting and great coaching and a brilliant manager.

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tallguy6767 added 13:48 - Feb 10 I remember when Luke played for Kesgrave Kestrals with my nephew and Billy clarke, You could see even then the lad was going to make it as a pro footballer. Dont seem 5 minutes ago by the way. Well done Luke !
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mark1969 added 14:12 - Feb 10 Well done , great player , great future , lets hope more from the youth team make it to the first team.
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TractorBeezer added 15:14 - Feb 10 Well done Luke.Great attitude. I was also at the Rotherham game (which was midweek) while I visiting from Toronto with my son. It was his first experience of a live professional game and the large crowd was buzzing. I heard him on the phone to his pal back in Canada stating how much fun it was and that soccer makes hockey look like a pussy's game! He also went on the say that the supporters were mad and that his Dad was the worst of the lot! Thanks for the memory

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algarvefan added 15:48 - Feb 10 Monkeyblue, the point I was making was for youth...not from living or being born local...thanks for the lecture though, it's much appreciated!!!!
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jas0999 added 16:30 - Feb 10 Exactly the right attitude. Unfortunately the current manager realised far too late that young hungry players was the way forward and opted to sign (on large contracts) injury prone has beens who couldn't care less about the club. Very disappointing. Despite two straight wins, our record this season is very poor. It would be interesting to see how this squad (minus the has beens) would perform under a young hungry manager who is happy to build for the future. ME and Clegg got it wrong IMO.

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DiamondGezzer added 16:40 - Feb 10 Encouraging to hear his thoughts. Think he plays more maturely than his years would suggest, just imagine what he will play like with a few more seasons under his belt !
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Lightningboy added 16:48 - Feb 10 This is the sort of guy we need to be building the future of our club around..Clegg - stop arsing around and give him a decent 3 - 4 year deal!!!
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s6blue added 19:19 - Feb 10 good lad lukey boy
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