Striker Jack Marriott was delighted to score his first goal for the Town senior side during Saturday’s 4-0 friendly win at Shelbourne at the start of what he believes is a big season for him.

“It’s just good to play really,” the 19-year-old said. “It was good to get a half in the first game of pre-season and we won it in convincing style. We played some really good stuff and it was good to get a goal.

“I like to think of myself as a goalscorer and it’s always nice to get back on the scoresheet and it was a good start.”

The academy product is looking to break into manager Mick McCarthy’s squad more regularly during what he feels is an important season for him: “That’s what I’m hoping. It’s a massive year.

“It’s the last year on my contract, so hopefully I can prove something and get something for the following seasons. Hopefully break into the first team and get a few goals as well.

“I don’t send to set myself targets, I tend to just do my best and anything’s a bonus really. I genuinely don’t know [whether another loan might be a possibility], I’ve got to play it by ear.

“If I do really well, the gaffer might want me to play here, but it’s really difficult to say at the moment.

“He’s not said anything [about his expectations for me this season]. Everyone knows how to please him - work hard, do the things right and that’s all I’m aiming to do throughout pre-season and hopefully I’ll get a chance when the season starts.”

He says he enjoyed playing up front with Frank Nouble in the second half at Shelbourne: “It was really good, we played up front before in the U21s last season and we’ve got a little bit of a partnership going, and I think we proved that.

“The strikers here are all different. Frank’s very quick, very athletic and Didzy’s got a bit of flair, Murph’s big and strong, and Tayls has got a bit of skill.

“They’re first-team strikers but in my opinion I’m not a first-team striker, they’re that couple of steps ahead of me but that’s where I want to get to.

“The lads are very welcoming and it’s good to train day-in, day-out with them, but I still wouldn’t consider myself a part of the first-team squad, purely because I’m not a regular in the side.”

Marriott spent much of last season on loan with Skrill Premier side Woking, where he scored 13 goals in 23 starts and one game from the bench during two spells which sandwiched a very brief stint with Gillingham in League One, where he made just one late sub appearance. He says his time with the Cards benefited him greatly.

“I’ve improved a lot,” he said. “I learnt a lot when I was out on loan and it was good to play regular games.

“You’ve got some ex-Football League players who are on their way down, very experienced and it’s tough to play against them.

“Then you’ve got the big young ones who are just going to kick you. You come across all different sorts of centre-halves when you’re playing at that level and it’s all part of a learning curve.”

“But it is good to be back and involved with the first team, training every day, doing what they do, day-in, day-out, Championship players and just go from there really.

“In the Championship you get the centre-halves who are big, strong, quick, read the game well, they’re experienced and they don’t miss much. That’s that step further.”

The Beverley-born frontman, who joined the Blues from Kettering’s youth set-up as a schoolboy, says the week training at Carton House in Ireland was very enjoyable: “The facilities there are top class and it was a really, really good week.

“A hard week but equally very good. The gym facilities, the pool, everything was just top class, it was lovely.”

Marriott wasn’t the only striker scoring his first goal for the senior side at the weekend, recent recruit Darren McQueen was on target in the first half, and he is aware he’s not the only youngster looking to break into the first team during 2014/15.

“There are a lot of promising young players, a couple nipping at my heels, so I’ve got to push on further so that keeps them behind,” he added.

“We’ve got a lot of good players coming through from the youths and hopefully it’ll be the same for many years to come.”

Photo: Ian Summers

Photo: Action Images

LeonB22 added 06:43 - Jul 15 It'll be tough for Jack to break into the 1st XI on the basis of what we have already. Dids is just sheer quality, Murphy is our perfect target man, Nouble is continuing to impress & improve under the guidance of TC & finally Taylor seems to of come back a new man with an entirely different attitude which clearly & obviously MM is delighted about. I'd love to see Jack play more this season, however, sending him out on loan to a League One team would much more beneficial for both him & the club I feel. If he can replicate what he did for Woking in League One, he & us will be onto a winner. I feel McQueen would benefit from a loan spell similar to Jacks at Woking this season also, again if he performs to the same level, it can only be a good thing for both him & us long term.

4

hogster1970 added 07:24 - Jul 15 its such a hard descion to make on MM side of things, ive seen jack play quiet a few times and personally i would have him on the bench in front of nouble, i think big frank would benifit from a loan spell in league 1, to me jack is a strong player has a good touch and defo knows were the goal is, i would have him on the bench alongside taylor as our 2 strikers, unless MM puts taylor in behind murphy and didsy which i would love to see,

4

samsonblue added 07:27 - Jul 15 Looking forward to the season. Personally would love to see jack break through, but will only happen if 2/3 of current squad fail to impress. Whatever happens, we cannot let this boy go. Sign him up for the long term!!!!!!!
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carlo88 added 08:29 - Jul 15 Or alternatively, Frank doesn't score goals, Didzy does, Murphy scores a few and Taylor doesn't even get picked.
0

BlueLight added 08:46 - Jul 15 Could be a great impact sub. I cannot remember us having one of them for a while. I do not think he could break into the starting X1, so from the bench will probably be his best option this season. I hope he stays, I like the lad.
1

ipswichtillidie added 09:46 - Jul 15 The ole Cliche if your good enough your old enough comes to mind and in Jacks case i can see that being the case.I just hope he gets the chance to show it this season. With the new Paul Taylor at the club i do feel we are well covered in the attacting department, it would be more of a case of who is gonna create the chances than score them for me. Pace has been added in the form of Stewart/Henshall would like to now see a bit of guile to feed the likes of Marriott who good flurish and come into his own with the right supply as he does appear to be the most natural goalscorer we have.

2

Jaffe added 10:04 - Jul 15 Didz will not be fit until 2015, Taylor only impressing to get a move, Nouble is our 2 goal a season hit man, Murphy will never score you enough goals to get out of mid table. MM will wait until after the Prem transfer window to pick up a loan and by then it'll be too late. Marriott on the bench if he's lucky.
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muccletonjoe added 10:05 - Jul 15 A well taken goal at the weekend will have done his chances no harm at all
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Lightningboy added 11:28 - Jul 15 Hope we don't make the same mistake with Marriott as we did with Rhodes..i.e. Not giving him a decent run in the team to see what he's capable of. I'm sure that if he'd been given as many opportunities as Nouble last season he would've knocked in a few more goals..he seems the fox in the box type to me. Give him a decent run Mick.
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brendenward35 added 12:14 - Jul 15 latest new "Sky Sports understands Ipswich Town are closing in on the signing of Notts County goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski. Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy is in the market for a new goalkeeper after losing Scott Loach earlier this summer."
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brendenward35 added 12:20 - Jul 15 This is what one Notts county fan is saying lol "Ipswich have just raised a substantial sum of money by selling one of their best players but little old NCFC are expected to give them arguably their best player for free" so all the negative fans still think his rubbish?
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JWM added 13:02 - Jul 15 Yep.
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Jaffe added 13:18 - Jul 15 yes never done anything
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Mick added 18:16 - Jul 15 You know what I like about this kid? He's focused, he intelligent and humble - all beget greatness. I'm backing him for big things, hopefully this season!
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