Arran Lee-Barrett has described his stop-start season as “challenging” as he looks to play in Town’s remaining six games and clock up more appearances than any of his goalkeeping rivals.
Lee-Barrett has played 14 games so far and if he remains ever-present until the end of the current campaign his total will be 20, compared to David Stockdale’s tally of 18, Alex McCarthy’s 10 and Richard Wright’s one.
The Ipswich-born keeper, signed by former manager Roy Keane in August 2009 after he impressed in training following his release by Hartlepool, will make his 37th appearance in all competitions at Derby on Saturday.
Lee-Barrett, 28, said: "It has been a challenging season with me having to get my head round playing and not playing, but I believe I am a stronger player for it now. At the moment I am just looking forward to seeing the season out — if it happens.
"Obviously, I want to be playing as often as possible and now I have another chance to show what I can do. I don’t think I have ever taken anything for granted or felt I had nailed the position down. If you think like that you can become complacent and I don’t want to be thinking like that.
"I’m happy that the gaffer has the faith in me to put me in and give me the opportunity. My aim is to stay in the side. It’s where I want to be and I will be giving it my best shot as always.”
| Appearances | Clean Sheets | Conceded | Ratio | |
| David Stockdale | 18 | 5 | 35 | 1.94 |
| Arran Lee-Barrett | 14 | 4 | 23 | 1.64 |
| Alex McCarthy | 10 | 2 | 12 | 1.20 |
| Richard Wright | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3.00 |
Town have used four goalkeepers this season, with David Stockdale, on loan from Fulham, in goal for the opening-day 3-0 away win at Bristol City.
Current first choice Arran Lee-Barrett played in the next game, a League Cup defeat by Northampton at Portman Road, but Stockdale was recalled for a run of 15 league games.
An injury kept him out of the next two, with Richard Wright making his third Ipswich debut and being injured in the 3-2 home defeat by Reading, which saw Lee-Barrett make his first league start in the 4-0 defeat at Burnley.
Lee-Barrett was immediately axed as Stockdale returned but he was only back in the side twice more before being recalled by Fulham, with Lee-Barrett restored to the side for the next five. After the 3-1 FA Cup third round defeat at Hull in January the club brought in Alex McCarthy on loan from Reading and Lee-Barrett was back on the bench.
But McCarthy was sent off in only his third appearance as Town capitulated at Elland Road, leading to Lee-Barrett once again stepping into the breach. This time he was in goal for three successive wins against Coventry, Portsmouth and Cardiff before a 3-0 defeat at Brighton saw him make way for McCarthy.
The Reading man enjoyed a seven-game run that included just one defeat before being recalled by the promotion-chasing Royals and that led to Lee-Barrett marking his return to first-team action with a clean sheet in last week’s 1-0 home defeat of Barnsley.
Stats included three goals conceded by Lee-Barrett after he was introduced from the bench at Leeds following McCarthy’s dismissal.
Photo: Action Images