Boss Mick McCarthy says 17-year-old first-year academy scholar Kundai Benyu isn’t far from making his first-team debut and that he was close to being involved in Sunday’s East Anglian derby at Norwich. The central midfielder was on the senior bench for the first time at Carrow Road.
"It depends what game it is,” McCarthy said. "He was within a hair’s breadth of going on on Sunday but I didn’t think that was the game for him.
"And going on and making a debut it can be, not make or break as such, but it can either push you on or set you back a long while.
"There wasn’t a lot of room to play in that game on Sunday and the pace of it was frantic. I don’t think it was a game for Kundai.
"But he trains with us, he’s travelling with us and he doesn’t look out of place training with us, he’s a good player.”
Camden-born Benyu, who also qualifies to play international football for Zimbabwe, recently signed his first professional contract taking him through to June 2018. The central midfielder has been a regular in the U21s this season and has hugely impressed his manager.
"He’s a very talented, skilful midfield player,” McCarthy added. "He can look after the ball with his feet, he finds a pass.
"As for the physical side of it, he’s just 17 and seeing him stripped alongside the first-team players who have been in the gym for the last five years and are all built like beasts, he’s a skinny dipper when compared.
"But he copes with it, that’s fine. I’m not saying you have to be a big, powerful player but that does help, certainly in the Championship.
"He’s a real talent, the way he can go past people he’s a bit like Bish, similar to him. We’ve got some good youngsters coming through. I’m really pleased, the academy’s thriving at the minute.”
Meanwhile, Town’s U18s drew 0-0 away at Crystal Palace yesterday afternoon in a match rearranged from Saturday.