Town have signed 20-year-old Manchester City winger Alex Henshall on loan until the end of the season. Left-sided Henshall had spent time on trial with the Blues squad and played in last week's reserves friendly against Southend with his contract with his parent side up at the end of the season.

Henshall told the club site: “Ipswich is a big club and at this stage of my career, I thought it would be a great opportunity for me.

“I’m looking forward to the experience and especially working under this gaffer, so I can’t wait to get started.

“I need regular football and the Championship is a great standard. I want to come in here, hopefully get some games under my belt and try and do well for the club.

“Ipswich are obviously pushing for promotion, so it’s a great time to come in. I really want to do well for Ipswich and then we will take things from there.”

Swindon-born Henshall, who will wear the Town number 23 shirt, was a youth player with his hometown club but moved to City when 16 in the summer of 2010 having been on the Robins’ bench twice.

A number of other Premier League clubs, including Liverpool, had also shown interest.

The 5ft 10 in tall England U16 and U17 international spent time on loan at Chesterfield making one start and six sub appearances last season and made another league start, in which he scored his first senior goal, and another appearance from the bench while on loan at Bristol Rovers earlier in this campaign.

Photo: ITFC

Photo: Action Images

MaySixth added 14:42 - Mar 24 Odd.
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MaySixth added 14:43 - Mar 24
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oldelsworthyfan added 14:44 - Mar 24 Quite a surprise because he couldn't even get into Bristol City's team!
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Bown added 14:50 - Mar 24 you mean Bristol rovers
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LankHenners added 14:52 - Mar 24 Didn't see that coming! Hopefully will add some pace and direct running to our wide positions. Also, hopefully this won't be another Jordan Graham signing.
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Fatboy added 14:55 - Mar 24 Left or right?
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AbujaBlue added 14:56 - Mar 24 Did someone say winger?? Welcome, Alex
4

ozzy_itfc added 14:56 - Mar 24 When is he out of contract? Possibly taking a look with a view to signing him? At wolves mm played two wingers all the time
2

DurhamTownFan added 14:58 - Mar 24 Fatboy: from the no 11 shirt in the video and his left-footed strike, I'd say left, although many teams use these wrong-sided wingers these days!
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hampstead_blue added 15:02 - Mar 24 Re-arrange these words; Hunt/?/wall/writing/the/on/is/ Hopefully he will get a run in the team. One last push for the play-offs.
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Lathers added 15:07 - Mar 24 A replacement for Williams when he joins Wigan on loan next month.
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Michael11 added 15:07 - Mar 24 Really hope this isn't because Williams is going back to Palace! If hes coming here and Williams stays i'll be very happy.
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Bluecynic added 15:13 - Mar 24 My thoughts as well- really hope he isnt here to replace Williams...
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tractorboyz82 added 15:16 - Mar 24 Reckon Williams is going back, Stange loan signing can't see the point in a loan if he doesn't even make the bench which I doubt he will.
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itfcjoe added 15:18 - Mar 24 Surely just an extended trial until the summer, doubt he'll play
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MattinLondon added 15:33 - Mar 24 The downside of having a large scale academy systems is that they poach the bright hopes of the smaller academies and then (unless they are really good) they seem to get lost in the system. If it is an extended trial then hopefully he'll have a bit of pace, a few tricks to beat his man, as well as having a good cross on him for the strikers to smash home.
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Marcus added 15:35 - Mar 24 A loan before a contract expires is good for both the club and the player. It can help the club check him out and help the player decide he's suitable for the club. Maybe he'll play a few games as well. I don't know enough about him to assess if he's good enough bit young players can have sudden moments when they mature and rapidly progress. Look at Andros Townsend - he was struggling for ages with being loaned out before he found himself.

3

Superblue95 added 15:56 - Mar 24 Must be looking into signing him in the summer otherwise this is a very odd signing
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Ipswich_Loyal added 15:57 - Mar 24 I don't think this signing will have anything to do with Williams. I think this signing is largely to do with next season as the lad is out of contract in the summer.
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brendenward35 added 16:02 - Mar 24 well so many of you were asking for a pace winger and Mick has obviously taken that on board :-) sounds like a good deal to me freebie in the summer and looks a good possibility if Mick and Terry can get the best out of him
7

Lightningboy added 16:02 - Mar 24 Reading this story reminds me of the guy we brought in from Villa a few months ago...whatever happened to him?
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CornardBlue added 16:37 - Mar 24 Good that we are looking to the future by bringing in young players, the thing we lack is pace lets hope this lad has some. Good luck to him and hope things work out.
5

Fatboy added 16:44 - Mar 24 Thanks, DurhamTownFan. I see the story has now been updated and confirms that he is left-sided.
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jas0999 added 16:55 - Mar 24 Would guess Williams is leaving. However may as well take a look at this guy. No harm and at least with him, if it works out we have a chance of signing him permanently in the summer.
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JWM added 17:08 - Mar 24 You moaners sure make me laugh. You moan that we have no pace, no creativity and no youngsters and yet you moan when MM brings this kid in on loan! We sign a young lad with loads of potential on loan and some still have a bloody moan! Jeez there's no pleasing some people!
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