Blues boss Paul Jewell says Luke Hyam’s new one-year contract will take a bit of pressure off the 20-year-old midfielder. Hyam put pen to paper on the deal taking him up to the end of June 2013 earlier in the week.
Although Jewell admits it’s not the longest of contracts, he hints that increased terms could be on offer if he — or any of his other players — continue to show good form: "It’s not a lot in one sense, but we’ve given it to him to take the pressure of him because at one time he couldn’t even get in our reserves.
"He’s a terrific professional, a great lad and he’s taken his chance. I said to them, ‘Listen, if you’re out of the team, whoever you are, don’t ever think that’s just the way it is. If you’re out of the team and you get the call, make sure you’re ready’.
"He’s trained hard in the gym all the time, he’s fit and in the last couple of games he’s shown what he’s capable of. If any players are doing really well here, we don’t want their contracts to run out.”
Hyam and Drury have impressed in the last few games and the Blues boss says the former Luton man’s elevation from fringe player who almost moved to a League Two club on a permanent basis to being a regular starter shows how quickly things can change: "Andy’s been out on loan to Crawley this season and if they’d have agreed a fee he might have gone there. Football is a funny old game with the way things work out sometimes.
"Those two lads have staked their claim for the shirt at the moment and it’s going to be difficult to dislodge them. But there will be other people trying to get them out of the team.”
Jewell says he’s confident that Josh Carson will sign his contract — two years with an option of a third season — with a meeting with his agent scheduled for next week: "I’m meeting Kevin Moran next Tuesday to try and finalise that deal.”
Central defender Tommy Smith’s terms are also up in the summer but the Town manager says he’s not yet talked to the New Zealand international about his situation: "We haven’t spoken to Tommy.
"Sometimes you think maybe we'll see what happens at the end of the season. It’s up to the players, if they perform between now and the end of the season, it’ll put them in a stronger position.
"It might weaken our hand but we’ll deal with those on an individual basis based on how I feel is the best way to handle them.
"At the end of the day, there are an awful lot of factors which go into a contract and it’s more of an issue to the media than it is to the players. When I speak with the guys in the office, most of them are pretty laid back about it.”
Right-back Carlos Edwards’s terms are also up at the end of the season and Jewell says he has talked with the 33-year-old regarding his future: "I spoke to Carlos on Sunday and he’s quite happy to see how things go. He just wants to make sure we’re safe, we’re all right and we’ll have a chat nearer the date [of the end of his contract].”
Edwards’s fellow Trinidadian Jason Scotland was left out of the XI which started against the Hammers but Jewell had praise for the striker: "As I’d expect, he was disappointed but he’s been terrific round the place, Jason Scotland.
"I don’t know what he says because I don’t understand a word he says, but he’s noisy and it’s always positive. I’ve been really impressed with Jason, not just as a player, but as a person.
"He was annoyed that Andy Drury didn’t square one to him on Tuesday, but then he played the nice little ball in for JET there at the end. He played his part.”
The Blues boss says Scotland’s contractual situation — a clause entitling him to another year at his current wage will be triggered after he makes three more starts — will have no bearing on whether the former Wigan and Swansea man is in the team: "Jason will not not play because of the clause in his contract.”