TWTD understands that goalkeeper Stephen Henderson is the third player the Blues are trying to sign from crisis club Portsmouth. Last week we revealed that Town were chasing defensive duo Jason Pearce and Joel Ward, who manager Paul Jewell is continuing to pursue.

Republic of Ireland U21 international keeper Henderson joined Pompey from Bristol City in the summer having failed to usurp ex-England international David James at Ashton Gate.

The 23-year-old, who stands 6ft 4in tall, has previously spent time on loan at York, Weymouth, Aldershot and Yeovil, winning the Glovers’ Player of the Year award last season.

Henderson, who is contracted until 2014, started this season on the Fratton Park bench but has been the regular first choice since October and was recently reported to have been watched by Newcastle United.

The Dubliner comes from a goalkeeping dynasty. Grandfather Paddy played for Shamrock Rovers in the 1960s, his father, also named Stephen, played, managed and coached at various sides in the League of Ireland.

His uncle Dave also played in the League of Ireland, for amongst others Shamrock Rovers, and another uncle, Wayne, currently plays for Preston and the Republic of Ireland.

Town are understood to have offered Portsmouth £2 million for the trio with talks continuing and with Pompey still to accept any bids for any of their players since news of their current financial problems became public.

Despite recently signing Reading’s Alex McCarthy on loan, Blues boss Paul Jewell has been looking for a keeper for the longer term since David Stockdale was at Portman Road on a similar spell from Fulham.

Jewell previously intimated that he might wait until the summer before looking for a new number one but McCarthy’s unsteady start to his 93-day loan — he misses Town’s game against West Ham after being sent off at Leeds — and Henderson’s possible availability at a bargain fee looks to have hastened the search.

In addition, Blues third-choice keeper Richard Wright, on a short-term deal to the end of the season, has been on trial with US side Dallas FC this week and is understood to be looking for a club where he can play first team football more regularly.

Meanwhile, Portsmouth boss Michael Appleton says Jewell is the only manager who has spoken to him expressing interest in his cash-strapped club’s players, despite claims of Leicester and other sides making moves: “I keep hearing that [we’ve received bids] but I’ve only had one conversation with one manager, so that’s quite pleasing from my point of view.

“I keep hearing that they’ve had a bid for this and a bid for that but the only person I’ve spoken to is Paul Jewell, and that was about 10 days ago.”

While the Blues and other clubs are understood to be talking to the off-field management at Fratton Park, Appleton feels other bosses ought to be contacting him: “I’ve not spoken to any other manager, so if people are putting bids in they’re obviously telling the wrong people or doing it in the wrong areas.

“From our point of view, if one of the players does interest one of the other clubs, I’d expect a phone call from the manager and do it in the right and proper fashion.”

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

wrightsrightglove added 22:36 - Jan 26 Yesssssssss please, all three will give us a whole new look to our defence and will keep us in this league at least. Having three players who have all played together is a massive bonus as well. £2.5 million, we'll have all three please..
0

Radlett_blue added 22:40 - Jan 26 Get him in on loan!
0

Keaneish added 22:40 - Jan 26 Perfect! Now do it Clegg.
0

pitseablue added 22:41 - Jan 26 Just want to know when someone has signed !!!!! All this linked to/ offer in for, it so boring !!!
0

geography26 added 22:44 - Jan 26 If this happens the three will be great additions! Probably won't happen though!!
0

Sindre94 added 22:46 - Jan 26 Brilliant player, way better than Alex McLeedsfan!
0

Manchesterblue added 22:48 - Jan 26 Do you honestly think Pompey will sell 3 players to a Rival, prob costing them a place the the Championship to boot....
0

bluearmy4life added 22:50 - Jan 26 Offer good money to the club not fair ones.... Offer good wages with bonus related performance.... I.E Promotion/play-offs... Offer good contracts 3yr-4yr..... Sell the club.... There you have it Clegg... Simples.....
0

itfc1981 added 22:52 - Jan 26 Clegg, please, as if he could do any deal.
0

Hungry_Badger added 22:53 - Jan 26 Why doesn't Evans just buy there club for goodness sake? Not that I'm complaining I feel all 3 players are the sort we need, remains to be seen if we can actually get them to come here. Come on Clegg!!!!!
0

norfolk_mighty_horse added 22:55 - Jan 26 So another goalkeeper!! Which of the others are going to play in defence!!
0

truethurstonblue added 22:55 - Jan 26 Please god that we sign all three and soon Come on Mr Clegg...sell them the club!!!! COYB
0

thebeat added 22:57 - Jan 26 The only thing that concerns me is that Pompey are not in a great league position either, so will buying 60% of their defence do us that much good?
0

norfolk_mighty_horse added 23:05 - Jan 26 Thebeat - can't be any worse than what we have got now. I think we should have signed Herman dispite his age I think he would be better than the current no hopers. Also he loved playing here.
0

CavendishBlue added 23:07 - Jan 26 Would make sense and time is running out for Pompey to pay the winding up order Particularly if Edwards can be relieved of his 'temporary' conversion , at club level , to RB ; which does work if you are playing for your country against third rate international countries. Lets get the Acdemy sorted out SOON ITFC we need the Ipswich Way to continue and not lose over 5o years of experience in developing young talent locally.

0

Vizslaraner added 23:09 - Jan 26 Like Class keeper, id love it! Going to take some deal to pull it off. Wd certainly be a coup if we managed to do it.
0

bobble added 23:10 - Jan 26 if we have a team of 11 goalkeepers we would be unbeatable, the management and directors have just taken football science to a new level,i am deeply proud and impressed by the ever increasing technological advances this clubs making to secure our place in the champions league.well done sirs you are a credit to the fine county of suffolk
0

peaky69 added 23:11 - Jan 26 Couple of points: thebeat: Portsmouth have conceded nearly half the goals we have, in fact there are only half a dozen sides statistically better than that so far. Manchetserblue: Pompey need to sell someone or they'll be into Administration and out of business playing no-one, if we're the only ones bidding they don't really have a choice. Still plenty of time for other bids to come in though.

0

BrettenhamBlue added 23:13 - Jan 26 Will be good if we can do it. Greatly enhances our chances of staying up. We are still going to find it difficult though, regardless of these signings.
0

GTRKing added 23:36 - Jan 26 Looks good but we are bidding a fair price & Pompey Want more money to pay off there Debits. So it's Pomepy Wayding it out to see how high we go. Looks like we only one interested in em. So Common Lets Get Em in time before west Ham.
0

captaincrunch added 00:04 - Jan 27 I think this could be a time when it would make sense to offer their full value and get them in. Forget about Portsmouth being poor and underbidding, if we can get these 3 it will make all the difference. As a special bonus they play together already, at the end of the pitch that we need to work on!
0

TractorBeezer added 00:05 - Jan 27 Very articulate GTRKing....but agree that we need them
0

tractordamage added 00:06 - Jan 27 "...but the only person I've spoken to is Paul Jewell, and that was about 10 days ago.” TEN days ago!! Did you all miss that comment? Hardly the actions of a club desperately trying to save us from relegation. And these are players who are playing for their hometown club: making it an even harder task. It's the 27th tomorrow. We haven't even replaced the players who were keeping us up (Collins, Andrews, Stockdale), not to mention the squad players we let go.

0

tractordamage added 00:19 - Jan 27 And if it truly was £1.6m for 2 good players...a 'NO' reply...then £2m for good 3 players...then I finally grasp what a 'derisory offer' feels like. It's dumb and insulting, and I'm a fan of the club acting dumb.
0

La_Paz added 00:31 - Jan 27 Is five goalies in a season a record?
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls