Midfielder Josh Carson was planning a family celebration on Saturday night after scoring his first two senior goals in Town’s 2-1 home victory over Crystal Palace. The 17-year-old’s starring performance was watched by eight members of his family and friends over from Antrim in Northern Ireland.
Mum and dad Glyn and Elaine, sister Danielle, aunts Karen and Heather, uncle Keith and friends of the family Maureen and John all came over to Suffolk for the weekend.
Initially the trip was planned to see the Northern Ireland U21 international play one of his final games for Town’s U18s before to his recent break into the first team led to the expectation that he might be involved at Portman Road at some stage rather than at Playford Road.
Carson says the afternoon went like a dream: "They came over hoping that I’d been on the bench, but to get a start and to score two goals is a bonus.
"The day couldn’t have gone any better other than if I’d got a hat-trick. Words can’t explain what I’m going through at the moment.
"I’m absolutely elated, I just need my head to stay the same size now, I’ve got to keep my feet on the ground.”
The academy product says his first goal was no fluke, contrary to manager Paul Jewell’s view: "Oh yeah, it was definitely a shot. I aimed for that far post. It was with my swinger but I can use both feet."
The wideman admits his inclusion against Scunthorpe came out of the blue but feels he’s settling into senior football, as Saturday’s performance showed: "I was surprised. I noticed when they gave the bibs out on the Friday before the Scunthorpe game that I was starting. I was a bit shocked at first but I took it in my stride and kept it going from there.
"I feel really good in the side because Mark Kennedy, Gareth McAuley and Damien Delaney are all really experienced pros and are always helping me out every training session, telling me to go forward with the ball and get at players because that’s my strength.
"On Saturday, I was told to stay wide for the whole game,” he added. "Grant and Jimmy were finding me with passes. It’s down to the other players really, I just do that hard bit. I’m just trying to do my best, week in, week out and hopefully get a few more starts.
"There’s no pressure involved at the moment, the gaffer’s been saying that for the last couple of weeks. But he’s said to get the three points and start pushing up the table, which will see us in good stead for next year.”
Carson is grateful to Jewell, whose boots he cleans, for giving him such an early opportunity in the first team: "Paul was the one that put the will in me, told me I have the ability to be here and started me in a game that I thought I had no chance to start in.
"He’s brought me on a lot. Roy Keane was the same, he had faith in my ability too. Paul’s just brilliant, I couldn’t ask much more from a manager. To give me my senior debut at 17 is fantastic, so he must see a bit of ability there. He’s the one that took the risk to put me in there and I think I fulfilled that.”
Youth players aren’t obliged to clean boots these days but the midfielder has no problem doing Jewell’s, even if his manager isn’t always appreciative: "Technically I’m not meant to, but I’ll do them anyway. I’ll do anything I’m asked, I’m easy like that.
"I haven’t really been doing them that well, but as long as my football’s doing the business, I’ll let my football do the talking!"
Carson says having his close friend Connor Wickham already established in the team has helped him to settle in: "It’s fantastic having Connor beside me. He always comes to my house to pick me up. It’s fantastic to have someone the same age as me alongside me.
"He’s told me to do what I’ve been doing, has kept telling me that I’ve got the ability and to keep going round players. He’s been like a senior player to me.”
Town’s tradition of giving young players an early opportunity was amongst the reasons Carson turned down a long list of Premier League sides to join the Blues two years ago: "Ipswich give young players a chance and that’s always great.
"But I think we’re a definitely a Premiership team. The way we’ve been playing in the last couple of weeks has been fantastic and I think that in the next couple of years we’ll be up in the Premiership and hopefully I’ll be there.”
As for the post-match celebrations, the midfielder, who signed a two-year professional contract last summer, admits that he’s not one for nights out, but was likely to be making an exception on Saturday: "I don’t know any sights of Ipswich, I’m a bit of a couch potato and I sit and watch the TV all day.
"But I’ll take them out and treat them to a meal this evening. There’ll be a bit of noise in the town later on!”