He might have just picked up two honours at the end-of-season supporters’ awards, but Bartosz Bialkowski has declared the best is yet to come.
In the week when the popular 28-year-old Polish keeper lifted the Supporters’ Player of the Year and Junior Blues Player of the Year awards, Bialkowski could be forgiven for savouring a personally-fantastic end to a tumultuous season.
But Ipswich’s number one has issued a positive message to downbeat supporters as he bids to make the goalkeeping shirt his own for many years to come.
Bialkowski said: "Everything comes with experience. I am an experienced goalie now so hopefully the best of me is in the future. I will be 29 in July so hopefully I will have a good few years under my belt.”
A ding-dong battle with Dean Gerken, which has seen both keepers occupy first-choice status during the season, has clearly spurred Bialkowski on.
There is little doubt that he has been Ipswich’s star performer in the last three months since regaining his spot from Gerken.
And he pointed to the role of Town’s number two as well as the club’s goalkeeping coach Malcolm Webster in his own development.
He explained: "I am improving every day. Working with Mally [goalkeeping coach Malcolm Webster] and Deano [Dean Gerken] is making me a better keeper.
"You can always improve in your training, such as crosses and kicking and handling, and I work hard every day. But there is always room for improvement.”
After Webster praised the goalkeeping duo earlier in the week and the respect is clearly mutual.
Bialkowski said: "Mally is a massive person for me. I met him when I was [on trial] at Hearts about 11 years ago and I have known him all that time.
"I also worked with him at Southampton and, on and off the pitch, he is just a great person. You can talk to him if you have a problem and he will always try and make you a better keeper.
"In training, he will talk about doing something else to improve. He will always pick something and they are things I wouldn’t even think about. For example, the technique of kicking into the ball. It is great for me to have that kind of goalkeeping coach at the club.”
Bialkowski revealed that his route to becoming a goalkeeper actually came about through necessity rather than choice after the young Bart decided certain things in football weren’t for him.
He said: "Growing up, when we used to play school against school or class against class, I was a striker — a big number nine target man.
"But when I signed up to my local team, I just went in goal as there was too much running for me [when outfield].
"I think I was about 10 when I decided I wanted to be a keeper. I was chubby and I hated running. That’s why I went in goal.”
Bialkowski joked that his youthful mindset was at odds with a McCarthy-managed team, even if he doesn't avoid gruelling runs altogether.
"Even in pre-season, it is bad for me,” he explained. "We have to do a couple of the runs but, to be fair, training as a goalkeeper is even harder. But running is so boring.”
Bialkowski is set to make his 17th Championship appearance in this season’s Championship when out-of-sorts Ipswich take on Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.