Striker Freddie Sears says the whole Town squad are “buzzing” for Andre Dozzell after the 16-year-old netted on his debut as the Blues drew 1-1 at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. The result all but mathematically ended any remaining hopes Town had of making the play-offs.

“We’re all buzzing for him, when you see a kid on his debut come in and do so well, and he’s got the equaliser, which is nice,” the 26-year-old said.

“We know how good Dozzer is, he’s been training with us for the last three or four weeks and he’s got real ability.

“He’s only 16, so if he didn’t have the ability then he wouldn’t be training with us, that’s for sure. He came on and it didn’t really phase him, and he’s ended up getting on the end of a good cross.

“It’s pretty easy [for him to get on with the first-team players] because we have a good dressing room here, he’s a good lad Dozzer so it’s quite easy for him. Now he has to keep working hard and keep his feet grounded, which I’m sure he will.”

Sears, , knows something of what Dozzell junior has experienced over the weekend having scored on his West Ham debut aged 18 in a 2-1 Premier League victory over Blackburn Rovers in March 2008.

“I’ve had this same sort of feeling which is obviously a great one,” he recalled. “It’s probably a bit surreal for him right now because he’s just scored for Ipswich Town in the Championship.

“It will sink in a bit later and I’m sure he will have loads of messages and things like that, but everyone’s delighted for him.

“He’s really looked good in the last three or four weeks and he’s got a chance today. Fair play to the gaffer. You never forget it, the first goal, and even a debut, you never forget your debut.

“For me it was a bonus, scoring on my debut, and it’s the same for Dozzer. He’ll be buzzing and everyone’s buzzing for him.

He added: “It’s going to be hard for him, he’s not guaranteed to play every week because there have been a few players missing, but he’s got a good head on his shoulders. His old man has been there and done it too, which should help.

“We’ve got a couple more games between now and the end of the season, hopefully he’ll get a run out.

“It’s down to the manager at the end of the day, he’s come on today and done well so I don’t see why he won’t be involved, but you don’t know in football. He’s had a taste of it and I’m sure he’s going to want more.”

Reflecting on the 1-1 draw with the Owls which effectively ended Town’s season - they’re eighth, eight points off sixth-placed Wednesday with an inferior goal difference with only four to play - Sears added: “We wanted the three points but it’s a positive performance and probably a positive point. We could have come here and got beaten but we’ll have to take the point in the end.

“I think we needed to win to put a bit more pressure on them but, saying that, you never know in football and you have to play to the end.

“We still have four games to go and if we can pick up maximum points then you never know. It looks slim but we’ll keep going to the end.”

Photo: Action Images

TractorCam added 07:09 - Apr 18 "Dozzer" another nickname to the list
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carsey added 07:22 - Apr 18 Feel sorry for Freddie possibly the best chance we had this season to score a few goals and stuck out wide chasing hoof balls and coming back so deep to pick up the ball. Should be played like Vardy running on to through balls on the ground - would frighten the opposition centre halves with his pace. Hopefully back to that next season.
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hogster1970 added 08:02 - Apr 18 spot on there carsey, you need to utalise your players strengths in sears case is speed and a good eye for goal, which mean we need quick decisive ball from midfield to split the defence but alas we have no one with that vision to deliver that and how MM sets the team up
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Currie10 added 09:10 - Apr 18 Carsey - were you at the game as first half we actually did try to play footy ( for us anyway! )
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tractorshark added 09:42 - Apr 18 And he played up front. He's not always been stuck out wide but, even when he has, he has had plenty of chances. Unfortunately, he hasn't taken him and his finishing is still not as good as it should be. An example is the early chance he had on Saturday. I like Freddie, he's been my player of the year and I agree he hasn't been helped by being out on the wing. But you can't blame that solely for his lack of goals. That's also been down to him as well.

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Daleyitfc added 09:52 - Apr 18 It shows the mentally of 'professional' footballers that they have to give nicknames to everyone : the sort of thing that kids do at junior school but grow out of by senior school. Pathetic.
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Taricco_Fan added 10:18 - Apr 18 Thought it would be "Dozzellsy".
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weevil added 11:24 - Apr 18 More attention should be made to that cross. It was fantastic, a little bit of trickery and a really threatening ball meant that "Dozzer" didn't really have a lot to do other than get his head on it. Great position by him to get into that space, but the cross made that goal.
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iaintaylorx added 12:53 - Apr 18 There is still hope.... http://www.skysports.com/football/news/30385/10248182/only-two-teams-in-europes-
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midastouch added 13:57 - Apr 18 many of us were buzzing weeks ago in hope of this. but mick knew best, he wanted to see skuse and douglas side pass our way out of play-off contention. no exSkuses, we got exactly what we deserved this season playing this style of negative football, sod all! had Dozzell got the nod ahead of the negative side-pass brigade, mick mugarthy might of achieved his aim for the season of reaching the plays offs. a massive missed opportunity IMO. and now we've got to try and compete against teams with even higher parachute payments next season. it's an uneven playing field. not that matters to mick as he likes it in the air better than on the deck so it doesn't really matter how uneven the surface is. "If in doubt, HOOF IT OUT!" i'm not sure who will be our target man next season but i fear he might be asked to wear a hard hat if this season is anything to go by!

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midastouch added 14:03 - Apr 18 and please mick, can you have a crack at the fa cup for one season, other teams with less resources have reached the semis by taking it seriously, a cup run would be fantastic, stop insulting us by playing teams that have had a couple of games on the training ground to gel! i want us to take both cups seriously. it was fantastic when we reached the semis against arsenal. let's have another crack at the cup competitions, maybe we might get lucky and all get to go to wembley one more time before we all kick the bucket!!!

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midastouch added 14:14 - Apr 18 and agree weevil. lovely cross from feeney. have to at least give mick credit for getting him to ipswich, he looks a far more positive type of player than we've had round these parts for a while! get sears, mcgoldrick, feeney, dozzell and bishop all playing next season regularly and mick could still win some of us back round. i want to be proven wrong, hopefully with mick taking us up, i really do. but i have to be honest, i'm not going to be rushing to the bookmakers to back us to get promoted next season, not on the evidence of this season. but admittedly far stranger things have happened in football, just look at leicester!

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Seasider added 17:01 - Apr 18 Since that debacle against Rotherham,and despite MM saying he wont do what the crowd wants;and wont change,think he has a bit. Less hoof and more passing on the ground,not that the results have improved;also one or two players included other than his favourites.How much this is down to injuries though(sideways Skuse&Murph) remains to be seen?
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