Town loanee Jonny Williams is operating alongside — and learning from — one of the best players in the world when he turns out for Wales at international level.
Kent-born Williams qualifies through his Anglesey-born father and won his fifth senior cap as a substitute in last week’s 3-1 home victory over Iceland.
Last season’s Young Player of the Year at parent club Crystal Palace, the 20-year-old midfielder replaced Real Madrid star Gareth Bale, who cost a staggering £100 million from Tottenham last summer.
Williams said: "It is an unbelievable experience to be in the same squad as a player of Gareth’s ability. I know Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal is injured at the moment but he’s another top-class midfielder and when he’s fit again Wales will have two of the very best midfielders in the business.
"They are great players and you learn from them every day in training. It’s a shame Craig Bellamy’s gone because I really enjoyed playing with him as well. He’s a great player and he’ll be missed for sure.
"With guys like Gareth and Aaron you learn a lot just from being around them, both on and off the pitch. Training and playing alongside players of their ability is a great experience for all of us.
"These are very exciting times with Wales, especially with the draw for Euro 2016, and I can’t wait for the qualifying campaign to start. We had a great result last week and things are really looking up.”
Meanwhile, while Williams knows he will be returning to Palace after his spell with the Blues, he admits to being in the dark about his long-term future.
He added: "Palace are the club I’ve grown up with but who knows what the future holds? For example, a year ago I wouldn’t have said that I’d be coming to Ipswich on loan so I don’t really have any idea. I’ve signed a new deal at Palace and I’m happy there for the moment.”
Can Palace, promoted under Ian Holloway’s stewardship but now relying on ex-Stoke boss Tony Pulis to keep them up, maintain their top-flight status?
Williams said: "I think it’s going to be tight so we’ll just have to wait and see. Obviously, I’m hoping we do stay in the Premier League. Maybe if we hadn’t got promoted last season I’d have played more games this season, but maybe not.
"The [ankle] injury I picked up [in September] killed that really because I was just starting to play more and more when it happened. It was a real shame but I’ve had experience of Premiership football and nobody can take that away from me.”