Blues defender Matt Clarke says he’d love to extend his loan with Town’s FA Cup opponents Portsmouth beyond his current half-season spell which is up on January 3rd.

Clarke, 19, joined the League Two side in August and has made 15 starts and one sub appearance for Pompey, although having started the season as a regular more recently he has been on the bench.

“I’ve really enjoyed it, loved every minute,” the centre-half told the Portsmouth News.

“Obviously it has been a bit frustrating not being in the team but you have to be patient and wait for your chance.

“The gaffer has told me my time will come and that I’m not going to sit on the sidelines forever.

“I’ve just got to be patient and wait for my turn. My loan is up at the start of January and nothing has been discussed yet.

“It is up to both clubs. I need to play football and improve myself as a player, so if it works out I’d love to stay here.

“I speak to Ipswich every now and then and they are happy I am enjoying my time here and enjoying my football.

“I was definitely going to go out on loan somewhere this year, if it happened to be non-league then so be it.

“I just needed to get out there because last year I sat on the bench a lot for Ipswich. This year the plan was to go out and get some games.

“It’s up to both clubs what happens next, we’ll see where we are, see where the plan is for the next half of the season. I would like to think I am ready for first-team football whenever needed.”

Regarding his recent lack of involvement, he hadn’t started a game since October 10th before returning to the XI for Saturday’s 1-0 FA Cup victory over Accrington, he added: “I started the first 12 matches and that’s the disappointing thing, playing every week and then you are on the bench not knowing where your next game is going to be.

“I would like to think I have done all right but I am young, still inexperienced and would like to improve.

“Maybe at the end of that run in the team I was a bit leggy and not as sharp as I was at the season’s start, so I have to make sure I’m fit for every game. I don’t like to play the age card. I’d like to think I am ready to play every game if needed.

“Obviously it’s frustrating but that’s football, in a 28-man squad you cannot expect to play every game.”

Barham-born Blues academy product Clarke made one Capital One Cup start and four Championship sub appearances for the Blues last season.

Even if Clarke extends his spell with Pompey he would not be eligible for the FA Cup third round tie against the Blues with players not permitted to face their parent clubs.

Meanwhile, former Blue Fabian Wilnis has backed his former Town team-mates and until the summer colleagues on the Colchester staff Wayne Brown to make a success of their time in caretaker charge at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

The duo were handed the reigns last week after another ex-Blue Tony Humes’s departure.

He told the Colchester Daily Gazette: “I really hope that they do very well. Wayne is a Colchester man and he’s done a great job for the club.

“I did the same coaching course as John in 2009, when we did our B Licence. I also played in the same Ipswich team as John for many years, so I know him well.

“It’s great to see him get the opportunity with the first team and I think he’s ready. He’s done a great job working his way up from the U17 and U18 sides to reserve-team level. I’m sure both he and Wayne will do a similarly good job with the first team.”

Photo: Action Images

ArnieM added 12:19 - Dec 9 Its clear, bring Clarke back to Ipswich , and PLAY HIM!
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SouperJim added 14:06 - Dec 9 Arnie if he's not getting in consistently at Portsmouth...
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MattinLondon added 14:42 - Dec 9 One of my workmates is a Pompey fan and he has said that Clarke is very good in the air, strong and committed but is poor with the ball. I was a bit surprised by this as I thought the point of academies was to improve young players technique and composure on the ball.
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Seasider added 14:54 - Dec 9 He is more likely to get a game there than Ipswich,who now have a huge squad,and with Mick never rotating regardless of performance it must be costing the club a lot more in wages than last season. Perhaps it would have been better to have made a couple of Marquee signings last summer instead of the 10 players who have been brought in some of whom cant even get on the bench.

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brian_a_mul added 16:17 - Dec 9 He is on the bench to freshen him up for the busy christmas period. It is good to see Portsmouth managing him, if he is feeling "leggy" he will get caught out and potentially injured due to fatigue. If he is in peak condition he will only play better and that will improve his confidence. I hope he gets decent game time after a short rest.
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blueboy1981 added 20:12 - Dec 9 ......... stay there Clarkey - you've got more chance of winning the Lottery than dislodging any of the back four here - however good you are. Just ask Jonny Parr.
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