Luke Hyam has admitted he was “pretty close” to leaving Portman Road just a few weeks ago in order to progress a career that seemed to be standing still.
Apart from a 45-minute appearance in the Carling Cup home defeat by Northampton in August, the young midfielder had been overlooked for the best part of a year after Paul Jewell’s appointment as manager.
Despite the fact that he had broken into the first team and amassed 13 senior appearances under notoriously hard-to-please previous boss, Roy Keane, he was beginning to wonder if his Ipswich career could even be over.
But suddenly the cloud of doom that had enveloped Hyam lifted and after being named in the starting line-up for the FA Cup third round trip to Hull last month he has figured consistently at senior level, taking his appearance tally to 19.
Hyam, 20, said: "I have discovered that football really is a funny old game full of ups and downs. If I was on a high getting picked regularly by Roy Keane it was a real low to be out of the picture under the new manager.
"Before the Hull game I was pretty close to going out on loan. I had a few options that I was considering but then I was back in favour and needless to say it’s been brilliant these past few weeks. I’m really enjoying my football again.
"It was hard at the start of the season and to be honest I had a bit of a horrid time of it. But there was nothing for it but to work hard in training and hope for a change of luck.
"Now the manager has shown a bit of faith in me and I would love to repay him. Not that long ago I was thinking that perhaps my future lay elsewhere but at the back of my mind I was also reminding myself ‘Don’t give up. Keep putting in the effort and you never know’.
"I knew I needed games and to play as much football as possible but when nothing materialised regarding a loan move it was just a case of staying here and waiting to see what happened.”
Hyam has seized his opportunity to the extent that he accepted Town’s recent offer of a new year-long deal that ties him to the club until June 2013.
His form has been impressive enough to keep skipper Grant Leadbitter and last season’s Player of the Year, Jimmy Bullard, in the wings — no mean achievement given his early-season status as a forgotten man.
Hyam added: "Grant and Jimmy are real quality players with bags of experience but at the moment Andy [Drury] and I are keeping them out.
"We are rivals for the same places but I still learn a lot from these guys. Just from watching them in training I am always picking up bits and pieces.
"Right now my aim is to keep my place in the team and play as many games as possible. The manager has said ‘Well done’ and encouraged me to keep working hard.”
Photos: James Ager, Action Images