Boss Mick McCarthy says Jack Marriott and Kyle Hammond are setting the benchmark for the rest of the club’s young players. Marriott, 19, has scored three goals in three games during a loan spell with Skrill Premier side Woking, while 18-year-old right-back Hammond was part of the first-team squad ahead of Saturday’s match against Leicester although ultimately missed out on a place in the matchday 18.
On Friday McCarthy revealed that the club are in talks with striker Marriott about a new contract, the former Kettering Town schoolboy having been handed a one-year deal in the summer, along with fellow Playford Road graduates Jonny Leddy, Tom Winter, Mark Timlin and David October, who is currently on loan at Histon.
McCarthy says Marriott is showing his compatriots what can be achieved: "People will say to me ‘I wonder how the others feel’.
"I think perhaps the others are thinking that Jack’s been pulling his finger out of his hole and he’s got himself a new contract, so maybe that’s what I need to be doing. That’s the benchmark.”
McCarthy believes Marriott's form with the Cards may well attract future loan interest from Football League clubs.
Ipswich-born Hammond, who is yet to be offered professional terms, spent most of pre-season with the first team squad along with fellow second-year scholars Amir Berkane and Byron Lawrence, both midfielders.
Having spent 12 weeks out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, Hammond was back in action for the U18s last week, scoring in the 2-1 defeat at Leeds, and for the U21s as they lost 5-2 to a much more experienced Colchester side in a friendly. He was subsequently called into the senior squad as cover at the weekend.
"Kyle Hammond’s come back from his knee injury and [was in the squad at the weekend],” McCarthy said. "He trained with the first team. He’s doing great.
"That’s got to be the benchmark for all of them, I think, that level, Jack Marriott and Kyle Hammond.”
Hammond will be in Town’s U21 side when they take on Brentford at their Jersey Road training ground this afternoon (KO 1pm). The Blues second string are still looking for their first win of the season and are currently bottom of the 10-team Professional Development League Two South with two points from seven games. The Bees, who are eighth with seven from six, have lost their last three matches. Recent signing Stephen Hunt, a Brentford player earlier in his career, will be involved as he continues to work on his fitness, as will Anthony Wordsworth, Scott Loach, Freddie Veseli, Alan Lee, Jordan Adekunle, Byron Lawrence and Jack Doherty. Republic of Ireland U18 international midfielder or defender Leddy is now running as he continues his recovery after undergoing surgery for the shoulder injury he suffered in the U21 game at QPR in September. Elsewhere, Elliott Hewitt and loan club Gillingham are in League One action against Stevenage at the Priestfield Stadium this evening.What to read next:
Town boss Kieran McKenna played his part in helping tidy Christchurch Park this morning following yesterday’s promotion celebration.
Leif Davis was named the Town Men’s Players’ Player of the Year at last night’s End-of-Season Dinner at Venue 16.
Town forward Sone Aluko has hung up his boots at the age of 35, the club has announced.
Photos from today's promotion celebration parade from Portman Road to Christchurch Park.
Huge crowds lined the streets of Ipswich and packed Christchurch Park as the Blues held a Bank Holiday ope-top bus parade to celebrate promotion to the Premier League.
Blues keeper Nick Hayes’s loan side Solihull Moors lost on penalties to Bromley in the National League play-off final, the first of two visits to Wembley Stadium.
A new podcast from the Blue Monday team is now available.
Ipswich Town Women ended their 2023/24 league campaign with a fourth straight win, Natasha Thomas’s first-half goal sealing a 1-0 home victory over 10-woman Billericay Town in front of a bumper crowd at the AGL Arena.
Town loan star Omari Hutchinson has been named in the final Championship Team of the Week of the season following his display in yesterday’s 2-0 victory over Huddersfield, which confirmed promotion back to the Premier League.
Town have received congratulations from ex-players, from elsewhere in football and more widely on social media following yesterday’s promotion back to the Premier League, here’s a selection of those messages.