Town boss Mick McCarthy says the Blues have plenty of young players capable of emulating the breakthrough made by Teddy Bishop this season during 2015/16. While McCarthy will be looking to make additions to his squad over the summer, he believes there are a number of youngsters who are making progress.
Bishop broke into the first-team at the start of the campaign, making his debut as a sub in the Capital One Cup in August, and quickly became a regular. The 18-year-old has now made 25 starts and 11 sub appearances and won a call into the England U19 squad before pulling out due to injury.
Defender or midfielder Matt Clarke, 18, also made his senior debut when he started at Crawley and went on to make his first four league appearances from the bench.
"We’ve got some good young players here, the likes of Kundai Benyu and Adam McDonnell, who we signed from Shelbourne,” McCarthy said in an interview with Ipswich Player.
"Obviously Teddy has broken through in the middle of the park and done superbly well and there’s a few others that are progressing well, too.”
Benyu, 17, emerged from the academy during the first year of his scholarship and was on the first-team bench on a couple of occasions.
McDonnell joined the Blues from the Dublin club on the final day of last summer’s transfer window, signing a two-year deal, but Town were unable to receive FIFA clearance for him to play competitive football due to red tape relating to his education programme.
The Irish U19 international, who was joined at Portman Road in January by another former Shelbourne player, 20-year-old winger Dylan Connolly, turned 18 earlier in the month and won’t have the same issues during the season ahead.
McCarthy has said that midfielder McDonnell would have been on the bench at Millwall early in the year had he been available.
The Town boss believes some of his other summer of 2015 signings ought to have made more of an impression.
"Players like Alex Henshall and Cameron Stewart should have been pushing the likes of Tabby, Ando and Hunty more last season,” he added.
"They should have been in my squad more regularly but, let me tell you, Alex in particular has shown a great attitude.
"He’s come back from being put in the U21 squad and training with them and done very well, I’ve been pleased with him.
"I’ve spoken with Alex and he’s of the mindset to come back, hit the ground running and have a good go at it again next season.
"Perhaps he could see that, as a young man, this opportunity was ebbing away and he wants to take it. He should be in my squad, and Cameron is the same.
"The opportunity is there for them and it’s down to the players. They get all the help, information and assistance from the coaching staff, it’s up to them to take it.”
Henshall, 21, has another year left on the deal he signed following his release by Manchester City last summer, while Stewart, 24, who was released by Hull City a year ago, signed a three-year contract after his switch to Leeds broke down.