Boss Mick McCarthy believes Tyrone Mings is now the best left-back in the Championship having taken over from Aaron Cresswell - who the Town manager felt was the best left-back in the division last year - following his departure for West Ham in the summer.

Cresswell has also enjoyed an excellent first season with the Hammers, with Chelsea and Manchester City both reportedly showing interest, a potential move which would net the Blues cash via a sell-on clause.

“I think he’s been outstanding,” McCarthy said of Mings. “I think he’s had a brilliant first full season.

“We could see that when he was here and the deputy to Cressy, who has gone on and had a brilliant season at West Ham in the Premier League.

“We could all see he was a good player, but we’d got the top left-back in the league. I think we’ve now got the top left-back in the league again. I think anybody would be hard pushed to dispute that.”

He has no doubt that the £10,000 recruit from Chippenham will go on to play in the top flight.

“He’ll play in the Premier League, I’m hoping it’s going to be with Ipswich, with me,” McCarthy added.

“If that’s not the case, if we don’t get into the play-offs first and foremost, and if we do and we don’t get promoted through the play-offs, I’ll think there’ll be interest in him, of course there will.

“But he’s contracted to us and we’ve got no desire to sell our best players because we’ve got some good young players coming through.”

Regarding Cresswell, McCarthy said he wasn’t sure whether there was a sell-on including in last summer’s “very good deal”, although a Town spokesman later confirmed to TWTD that there is a clause of an undisclosed percentage.

The Hammers paid an initial £3.75 million for the 25-year-old with the fee potentially rising to £7 million depending on top-ups likely to relate to appearances and probably international caps.

Sell-on clauses in some previous Town deals have seen the Blues receive 10 per cent of the profit when players have made further moves. West Ham have reportedly put a £25 million price tag on Cresswell’s head.

Tranmere would be due 20 per cent of anything Town receive as a result of a future sale having had a sell-on clause in the 2011 tribunal-set deal when Cresswell joined the Blues.

Photo: Action Images

Suffolk_n_Good added 07:05 - Apr 25 I think he's shown he has nothing to fear in the Championship, & without a doubt he's had a good debut season, but "Best Left Back In The League" think that's taking it a step too far, I feel he's better going forwards than he is at the back, he sometimes gets horribly caught out of position, especially when the opposition run at him, & he is guilty of just hoofing the ball forwards with his head down, now I accept that may well be his instructions from MM, but when he comes forward with the ball, looking for a 1-2, I think that's when he see him at his best.

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christiand added 07:39 - Apr 25 Mings has bundles of ability. I think sometimes we are too critical, least we forget we aren't talking about a seasoned pro. Lets be honest, the one thing that I am 100% sure of is MM knows a decent defender when sees one.
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BlueMachines added 07:49 - Apr 25 Totally agree Suffolk n good. But I think this is just MM's man management approach talking. I'd be surprised if he genuinely thought that right now. But in a year or 2 maybe. Provided he doesn't move on in the meantime.
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DurhamTownFan added 08:02 - Apr 25 Also agree with the top post above. For me, he switches off a bit too much (classic younger player in the sense). For example, at the back post ball watching instead of his man like last week at Wolves. All the raw materials are in place: pace, stamina, strength and happy on the ball. I feel he just needs another year with us before even thinking about moving to a bigger club.

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uefacup81 added 08:09 - Apr 25 Two questions re: Cresswell/sell-on clauses 1) Is the sell-on clause likely to be based on the £3.5m basic fee, or however much WHU have paid up until the sale? 2) Is it normal for Tranmere to have a claim to whatever the sell-on nets us?
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SouperJim added 08:21 - Apr 25 Mick is good at talking up our players, but this is a touch silly for me. Don't get me wrong, Mings is already a decent player and has the potential to be world class, but he's nowhere near that level yet. He's had a decent first season, but best left back in the league? Don't make me laugh! He's arguably not even the best left back at the club.
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Stewart27 added 08:21 - Apr 25 Good man management by Mick, however I believe that one of Mings' problems is that he believes his own hype. Great start to the season but in the second half of the season, I wouldn't even put him in the top ten full backs in the league.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 08:32 - Apr 25 I'm a great Mings fan. I think he will be exceptional in a couple of years' time. At the moment, I'd put him at left mid and Parr at left back. That would be some secret weapon for the play-offs.
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Currie10 added 09:40 - Apr 25 Absolutely love Mick. He'd talk up a lump of wood, not that Mings is this just love his media handling. Any issue he keeps internal, something many on this forum or in the stands fail to get on a regular basis! Smart manager Mick. I would argue, not that he's played there often, but we may well have the best LB in the division. I would say his name however is J.Parr! Think Mings has on the whole had a good season - think if we don't go up this summer he'll definitely go. That may be no bad thing either, think Matt Clarke could be a ready made replacement. We love a good LB!

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ArnieM added 09:41 - Apr 25 Cany Mick talking up Mings and his sale price. He's no mug. Let's hope the best left back in the Championship can actually defend and keep his attention fully focused today and not ball watch when the ball comes into the box like he often does.
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rinkydinkpanther added 10:17 - Apr 25 Ummmm...no. Not even sure he'd be the best left-back in League Two. If he learned to kick a ball, play a pass, tackle, dribble, run fast, defend and put in a good cross then maybe we'd be getting somewhere.
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ashleylewis10 added 10:18 - Apr 25 George Friend is streets ahead
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Nazemariner added 10:35 - Apr 25 I've not seen a better Left Back at Portman Road this season!
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ArnieM added 11:03 - Apr 25 Dont get me wrong, Ive felt this young man hasvthe potential to go rightbto the top. I came home from the Reading away match a couple of seasons ago , saying to mebfriendsb, "ive just seen an even better left back than Cresswell, and quite likely a future England left back"- his performan that day was that good. However John Wark said this season that hes got a lot to learn still, as a defender. I agree with this, but we must all acknowledge how far he has come in such a short time from non league football to thd very tough Championship level. My only criticism of him, is his lack of concentration at times and allowing his man to gain that half yard of space in the box at the post to shoot. He'll learn. So in the meantime...."he's here, he's there, he's every f** ing where"!

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blueward added 11:39 - Apr 25 In the top bracket of left-backs in the Division, but just under Friend, Forsyth and possibly Daniels in my opinion. But brilliant when considering he was playing non-league not so long ago.
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TimmyH added 11:54 - Apr 25 Good first half to the season but since the New Year he has looked tired and leggy and there's still a big question mark defensively, presently I'd rather have Parr in that Position than him (or on the right).
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dukey44 added 12:25 - Apr 25 Erm? Hes ok but best? He seems to want to take on their strikers in our box instead of getting rid of the ball. Been quite a few free kicks outside our box because of him. But far from the best.
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blueboy1981 added 13:11 - Apr 25 ........ you're not far off with that assessment Michael, however the lad needs to perhaps focus a bit more on 90 minutes - and not be phased by media hype. Enormous potential undoubtedly - 'could' go to the very top of his profession. Excellent first full season for him - which some unfortunately overlook far too easily. Well Done Tyrone.
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