Boss Mick McCarthy says summer additions Darren McQueen and Ben Wyatt can help improve the Blues’ U21 side during the season ahead.
Nineteen-year-old striker McQueen, who was on target at Shelbourne on Saturday, and full-back Wyatt, 19, who also played the first half at Tolka Park, were signed on one-year deals after being released by Spurs and Norwich respectively, having been on trial at Portman Road towards the end of last season.
The development squad, coached by Mark Kennedy, finished bottom of the U21 Development League 2 South Division during 2013/14 and if Town are successful in their bid to step up to a category one academy — they are still awaiting confirmation — then should play in an even stronger division this time around.
"I like Darren and I like Ben as well, McCarthy said. "Ben’s a left-back really but played comfortably at right-back [at Shelbourne] and I like that attitude, he just said ‘no problem, I can play there’.
"Darren is someone who I think was highly thought of at Spurs but you can get lost with all those players at Premier League clubs. He has got a bit of something, there’s no doubt about it.
"We’ve tried to get a better U21s team. [There will be players like] Teddy Bishop, maybe not so much Jack Marriott, but he might have to be at the start if he’s not in the first team.
"The other lads that we’ve signed will help Mark Kennedy with his team and hopefully we’ll have a bit more stability there.”
McQueen, Wyatt, Bishop and Marriott are all likely to be involved at some stage during tonight's home friendly against West Ham (KO 7.45pm).