Blues boss Paul Jewell says skipper Grant Leadbitter told him that he wants to stay at Town when the two met to talk on Wednesday. Leadbitter, a Portsmouth target earlier in the summer, is out of contract next June with the Town manager desperate to avoid a repeat of the situation which saw David Norris and Gareth McAuley leave on free transfers at the end of the season after months of speculation about their futures.

Jewell said: “I spoke to Grant. He’s not the most expressive man in the world, but he cares deeply about his football and he likes it here. We’re happy to have him.

“We had a chat. He hasn’t played as well as he would like to have played but he’s not the only one. He trains properly every day, he works hard and he’s the captain at the moment.”

The Blues boss says owner Marcus Evans has talked to Leadbitter's representative about new terms: “I know the owner has spoken with his agent on a couple of occasions. It’s ongoing.”

Jewell says he’s not actively looking to sell Leadbitter or anyone else, although that doesn’t necessarily mean no one will leave in the months to come: “We’re big boys, things happen. If a club comes in for any player and the player expresses an interest and it’s right for us, then there’s no point in me keeping a player who’s unhappy.

“But, do you know what, since I’ve been here, I don’t think anyone’s knocked on my door and asked to leave. Maybe it is too nice!

“That just shows that it’s a great club and players want to be a part of it. Sometimes it can get a bit too comfortable, I guess, but Grant has never expressed a desire or interest in leaving. We did have a bit of interest from Portsmouth but I wasn’t interested in doing that.

“I don’t want this Grant Leadbitter thing to drag on like the David Norris and Gareth McAuley situations.

“It’s no big deal. Me and Grant sat down and we had an open and frank discussion. He’s said he wants to stay, and I’m happy with that.”

The Town boss says talks have already taken place regarding extending Josh Carson's contract beyond next summer: “Josh Carson’s agent, Kevin Moran, spoke with the owner and I actually met him in Manchester in the summer and I didn’t know whether it was Josh Carson or Diego Maradona when I saw his demands!

“We’ve got to be careful with Josh. He burst on to the scene last year and sometimes younger players, after their initial effect, can take a backward step a little bit.

“I think with Josh we’re in the early days of progress yet but, again, we want to sign him. We want hungry players, we want young players to earn their money. Sometimes you can do them a disservice by giving them too much too soon.”

Photo: Action Images

KenDubZ added 09:20 - Sep 9 Because he knows nobody else would want him, its not like you seem him put his heart on the line week in week out is it.
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gasconyblue added 09:24 - Sep 9 PJ says: "he's not the most expressive man in the world" and yet he makes him captain. This needs addressing, there are expressive players in the side who lead by example - time for change.
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MaySixth added 09:25 - Sep 9 I want Leadbitter to stay. I do not think he is as bad as everyone makes out. He is lacking confidence right now but I think one solid performance from Leadbitter and he will be back on track.
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MaySixth added 09:28 - Sep 9 Brilliant quote from Jewell comparing Carson to Maradona re : demands.
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itfc1981 added 09:41 - Sep 9 oh no!
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GiveusaWave added 09:43 - Sep 9 "Captain for the moment" Interesting
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itfc1981 added 09:48 - Sep 9 test
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suffolkpunchdrunk added 09:57 - Sep 9 'He's not the most expressive man in the world' - so why the hell is he the captain? Get a grip PJ!
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Blue_Fred added 09:57 - Sep 9 Sounds Like Kevin Moron sees Josh Carson as his next meal ticket ..
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Sam999 added 09:59 - Sep 9 Josh is quality and his contract should be sorted before leadboots, we need a captain who actually leads rather than hiding on the pitch
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DiamondGezzer added 10:02 - Sep 9 For mepersonally, either Andrews or Bullard as captain. Both vocal.
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suffolkpoker added 10:09 - Sep 9 im more concerned with josh carson than leadbitter. but i totally agree with PJ play him down and make him work for it. he is by no way the final product.
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cats_whiskers added 10:09 - Sep 9 Leadbitter is no more than an Ordinary midfielder When he's on the ball nothing happens to get excited about, his goal ratio is appalling if you take away the penalties And his dead ball situations are a total joke and percentage wise nothing ever results, it's probably as low as 2% that anything results in a goal. He's no captain either or ever will be, it just shows what character we are lacking on the pitch that he is even considered

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bjc1502 added 10:12 - Sep 9 Said the same thing about Norris and G Mac i seem to remember
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MyBlueHeaven added 10:13 - Sep 9 being expressive conversationally in an office, and being expressive on the pitch are two different things. perhaps get off the guy's back and we might see his confidence return so that he can lead the team as he's able to.
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brian_a_mul added 10:20 - Sep 9 Grant is a decent midfield player but Andrews, Bullard & Bowyer are better footballers and more inspirational. When everyone is fit I cant see Grant starting in the middle ahead of these lads. Out on the right of midfield prehaps?? but PJ favors more pacy wide players. Anyway; I would like to see him sign a new contract and see if he improves. His tackling was very poor against Southampton/ Peterborough. They just seemed to run past him freely! With a new contract and no distractions for other clubs he will hopefully fulfill his potential. Bullard will be on Set Piece duty when on the pitch!

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HarryfromBath added 10:21 - Sep 9 I think that this may be more about money. Leadbitter has a market value, and could be seen to be a decent player at another club.
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1979blue added 10:25 - Sep 9 Not a great fan of Leadbitter, however, if he does want to stay then he needs to prove this by performing better on the pitch and getting the fans behind him again.
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cornishnick added 10:27 - Sep 9 There's no point letting anyone with a value walk away for free, whatever you may of him. And Leadbitter does have a value. As for not being "the most expressive", perhaps PJ thought giving him the captaincy would help. Obviously hasn't worked
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LifeLongTownFan added 10:39 - Sep 9 release him
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LifeLongTownFan added 10:40 - Sep 9 i'd rather have stern john in midfield!
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bluenut added 10:53 - Sep 9 Can't believe how fickly some so called fans are on here. I remember when people were calling for Leadbetter to be made Captain and saying what a leader on the pitch he was. I do like Leadbetter but his corners have always been shocking. He's lost his way a bit this season but with a bit help and support from the club and fans he'll be back. think we should give him a years contract with the option of an extenion based on performance and in the mean time we get a decent offer for him, off load rather than make the same mistake we did with GMac and Chuck.

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roytheboy added 11:14 - Sep 9 Maybe Leadbitter would perform better if he did not have to worry about the responsibility of being Captain !!
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Lightningboy added 11:23 - Sep 9 Get rid asap..not good enough to wear our shirt as far as i'm concerned.
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Scuzzer added 11:39 - Sep 9 Seeral on here keep saying that he has lost his way this season. I believe he had no sense of direction last season. Very average performances that bring nothing to the game.
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