Town midfielder Jack Doherty is targeting a breakthrough into the Blues first team when he returns from his loan spell back with his former club Waterford United. The 19-year-old, who also isn’t ruling out a further loan with an English club, is due back at Portman Road in July.
Doherty is yet to make a senior appearance for Town since signing a two-year deal after joining from the Irish club for £20,000 last July.
Injuries and homesickness have affected the winger, who says that it was the club's decision to send him back to Ireland on loan rather than his own.
"That was a decision made by my agent and Ipswich as well. They only had four games left in the U21 season and they wanted me to get some first team action.
"The transfer window was closed in England at the time and we both agreed that'd it'd be the right thing to do," Doherty said.
He says he’s enjoying his time back with his former club in the Airtricity League First Division: "Waterford have helped me a lot, and they continue to do so.
"They're allowing me to learn more about the game and know the game better. It's a family type club, a lot like Ipswich in that respect."
The winger felt he was doing okay at Ipswich until he sustained an ankle injury and admitted that it's been a frustrating time for him so far at the club.
"When I first went over I was doing fine in pre-season, but I went over on my ankle a few times and that set me back a good three months.
"When you're sitting in the physio room for that long, you go off your head, it's very frustrating, looking at the same walls every day."
Doherty also admits that being away from home for the first time has affected his Town career.
"For a good six months I was on my own. I was in a hotel when I first went over there, and then I went into digs and I was on my own there as well. It's hard."
He credits fellow Irishmen Daryl Murphy and Stephen Hunt with helping him to settle into the club.
"The Irish players like Murph and Hunty have helped me massively. They've treated me like I'm their brother, they've brought me along and got me past the homesickness. They're brilliant to me over there," he admitted.
The former Republic of Ireland Schools international is optimistic about his future with the club and is aspiring to make his first team debut during the 2014/15 season.
"Hopefully when I go back in July I can play a few pre-season games and see what happens from there.
"If I have to go out on loan in at a lower league club in England then I will, I want to get my debut next year. I want to try and break into the first team and get in and around it regularly," he said.
Doherty, who was a part of the squads for the first-team games against Stevenage, Leeds and Millwall earlier this season, has high praise for Blues manager Mick McCarthy.
"Mick is great, his man management skills are brilliant. He knows how to manage a player. If he leaves out a player, he has a reason. He brings the player into his office and tells them why he left them out and what they can do to improve.
"It's not like other managers that just leave you out and don't even talk to you afterwards. There's no crap in the training ground either, it's either done his way or not at all."
The wide man also had similar praise for Town's U21 coach Mark Kennedy, who he says is an ideal man to develop Town's youngsters to their full potential.
"Sparky's obviously a former winger as well so that helps me personally and he's a top man. He loves to help any young players over there. He puts you in under his wing and helps you along and I can't praise him enough to be honest."
Speaking about Town's play-off hopes, Doherty believes that the squad has the ability to get into the top six.
"I'm sure they can get to the play-offs, but getting up to the Premier League is another thing. It'd be a dream come true to play in the Premier League with Ipswich next season."