The solid defensive double act forged by Luke Chambers and Tommy Smith owes a great deal to their off-the-field friendship, the latter has revealed.
Smith said: "We get on really well off the pitch as well and I think that’s a big thing with any partnership. If we hated each other I don’t think it would be going too well.
"Playing games together also helps. You get that understanding between you — I know where he’s going to be and he knows where I am going to be. We are covering each other all the time and it is working really well at the moment.
"We’re like old-fashioned centre-halves in that we like a bit of the physical stuff. Basically we like defending but if we can chip in with a goal now and again we’ll also help in that way. But we get paid to stop goals and if we can do that, great.”
The pair’s contribution this season was recognised this week when the pair collected Player of the Year awards, Chambers courtesy of votes cast by all members of the playing staff and Smith by topping a poll of club sponsors and executive box holders.
Smith added: "To get recognised for my performances is really pleasing for me but we all know the improvement under Mick McCarthy isn’t just down to individuals or the back four.
"Chambo got an award as well so we obviously got the honours, but the whole team deserves credit. We have really worked on the defensive side of things and our record of 10 clean sheets in our last 15 games speaks for itself. Now we’re all looking to get two more before the season finishes.”
New Zealand international Smith is still only 23 and believes he has some way to go before reaching his peak.
He said: "As you play more games and get more experience the mental side comes into it. If you watch the Premier League you hardly see any errors from the older players and I believe that’s a mental thing.
"All youngsters make mistakes and in my case the odd one probably affected me more than it should have done. But I’ve learned to deal with that now. If I do make an error I just get on with the game.
"It doesn’t make you a bad player if you make one mistake and you learn to keep your head down and just keep on doing what you have been doing.”