Boss Mick McCarthy says new keeper Dean Gerken has something to prove after an under par spell at Bristol City. The 28-year-old signed a two-year deal with the Blues last week having left Ashton Gate at the end of last season after a four-year spell in which he made only 60 appearances.

The former Colchester keeper joined up with the Town squad in the first week of pre-season and was in the party which travelled to Ireland for a training camp earlier this month.

McCarthy was very impressed with the Rochford-born glovesman during his trial: “He showed real commitment to want to come in and play.

“I was impressed by him because he himself said he didn’t do himself justice at Bristol City when David James came in.

“He lost his place by default, David James came in and he lost his spot, and I think it irked him and he didn’t get back in, and he probably wasn’t ready to get back in and didn’t play well.

Current number one Scott Loach

“I like the fact that he’s got something to prove and he’s annoyed because he was always a highly rated keeper when he was at Colchester. I’m glad we’ve got him. I like players who have got something to prove.”

The Blues boss says Gerken and current number one Scott Loach will be his only senior keepers this season with academy second-year scholar Michael Crowe, 17, their back-up: “I’ve got young Michael Crowe and if I have to have one sit on the bench, I’d have him sit on the bench, and if we have problems I’ll have to get one on loan.

Michael Crowe

Overall, McCarthy is very pleased with his summer additions: “I’m delighted with my signings, absolutely thrilled with them.

“The ones that we kept from last year, Murph’s started like a house on fire, I think Cole Skuse is a really good player, Tabby, delighted, really good to get him, David McGoldrick. I’m delighted with the ones I’ve got.”

He says Championship clubs are all after the same targets, but says that’s the case at every level: “We’re always all chasing the same players. If we had £10 million to spend and 10 other teams had £10 million to spend, we’d be chasing exactly the same players.

“What’s nice is that we’ve been able to sign some quality when everybody tells me that players don’t want to come to Ipswich. That’s nonsense.”

Photo: Action Images

brassy added 06:11 - Jul 18 mick your my kind of manager,good luck for the new season.COYB.
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ArnieM added 07:16 - Jul 18 "Quality"? What's that manager Mick going on about? Doesn't he know Ipswich has no quality. Whose word would you trust, the QUALITY Manager of Ipswich Town FC or some numpty in charge of a "nothing" lower league outfit? In Mick We Trust : COYB's
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bluemikey100 added 07:46 - Jul 18 everyone wants play for ipswich now that we have ole mickey blue eyes
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emergencylime added 08:02 - Jul 18 Great to hear the #3 is Crowe's to own, wouldn't it be great if we could go a whole season without the recall risks associated with a loan keeper?
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ThatMuhrenCross added 08:42 - Jul 18 I like how he got the 'quality' line in there! Up yours Martin Allen!!
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dirtydingusmagee added 09:49 - Jul 18 i think Mick has done well in securing these players, he do's seem to be able to ''connect'' with players, future looks brighter than for past 3/4 seasons.Just wish the club could offload Chopra, but he is arrogant and will sit back ,dig his heels in ,and continue to cry like a baby ,about all the woes he brings on himself AND collect his overstuffed pay packet .

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itfcno added 10:24 - Jul 18 Didn't use to want to come to Ipswich. Now, with MM and TC in charge things have changed
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Michael11 added 10:58 - Jul 18 So nice to see us with 3 permanent goalkeepers, including a youth player we're going to try and develop for the future. Things have changed for the better, i just hope we can keep Mick long enough to see us shine again. Absolutely agree with him about location being nonsense. We're just over an hour away from London but Paul Jewell constantly made us sound like we're just a few miles from Pluto and put everyone off joining! I don't think it's any coincidence that every player we've signed has mentioned that we've got a great manager as part of the reason they signed.

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WadeyBlue added 11:35 - Jul 18 Martin who?!
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essextractorboy93 added 12:20 - Jul 18 We now have 2 solid keepers at the club on permanent deals, good to see Crowe as third choice. Agree with Mick that there is no need to sign another senior keeper.
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JLITFC added 12:25 - Jul 18 The whole "players don't want to come to Ipswich" thing because of where we are located has always been a load of b*llocks, if players didn't want to come here N'Daw wouldn't have moved from Saint Etienne to Ipswich, Chopra wouldn't have from Cardiff, Murphy from Sunderland etc etc.
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