Town boss Mick McCarthy has revealed that striker Jack Marriott has been offered a new contract. The 19-year-old, whose current terms are up at the end of the season, is on loan at Skrill Premier side Woking for a month and has so far scored three goals in two games.
"We’ve had a discussion with Jack, that was done before he went to Woking," McCarthy said. "Six or eight weeks ago I told him that I wanted to keep him.”
The Blues boss, who wouldn’t go into detail regarding the length of the proposed new deal, watched Marriott score his first senior goal in last week’s 3-0 win against Dartford and was impressed with the academy product: "He’s had more chances in two games than he’s had in all the U21 games he’s played in. And he’s created most of them for himself.
"He was excellent in the first game, I thought he played really well and I’ve watched the highlights of the second one [a 3-2 victory over Hyde] and Taff [scout Ian Evans] was at both of them and again it was another really good performance.
"He’s enjoying it but it’s not Leicester and it’s not Blackpool. Let’s put it into perspective, but he’s doing what he was sent out to do — play against fellas where points were at stake. There’s a few quid at stake for those clubs, relegation and promotion, and he’s doing great, we’re really pleased with him.”
Despite that, McCarthy isn't underplaying the quality of Marriott's strikes: "The goals he’s scored, the first goal he scored, for example, he will score that in any league in the world against any players.
"There’ll be better defenders, but he was on the move in the box and it came and he just got a little nick on it, it was a terrific finish.
"Likewise, his two goals against Hyde, any league in the world they would grace the game. But he will be playing against better defenders. He’s doing what he’s been sent out to do, to play and score.”
McCarthy also confirmed that left-back David October will remain at his loan club Histon until January 2nd: "The logic behind that is that if a league club came and wanted him then he can go after January 2nd.”