Blues boss Paul Jewell has confirmed that he’d like to keep loan centre-half Danny Higginbotham at Portman Road beyond his initial one-month spell. The 33-year-old Stoke man has said he’d be keen to stay on, while Potters boss Tony Pulis has said he won’t stand in Higginbotham’s way if he wants to remain with the Blues.
Jewell said: "Danny’s come here and just wants to play football. Obviously in the two games he’s started he’s done very well. I think he enjoys the club. He knows that it’s a good club.
"I spoke to him yesterday briefly and he’s just really enjoying playing football again. I’ve got a good relationship with Tony and if we could take Danny for longer we would like to do that.”
He says there have yet to be talks regarding a second month with all thoughts currently centred on getting the Blues out of the bottom three: "I think Danny’s one of those people that knows that there’s a lot more going at the football club at the moment than personal situations and what people want to do.
"All we’re focused on is getting a few results. We get a few results then we can start looking at personal situations.”
Jewell believes the one-time Manchester United trainee has helped make the Blues backline more solid in the two starts he has made up to now: "Danny is experienced, he’s been around the block, he knows what it’s about. He went to Nottingham Forest last year when they were struggling and helped steady that ship.
"It’s no slight on Tommy Smith because Tommy’s a great lad and we think Tommy will be a good player, but Danny’s just got that calming influence that we need at the moment.
"He knows the game, he’s been around, he’s enthusiastic and, even though he’s on loan, he hasn’t come here and just been part of it, he wants to be one of the main leaders.
"And anyone who has seen the two games he’s started, certainly from the way he organises and the way he talks, will have seen that that’s what he does.”