Town boss Mick McCarthy has challenged young full-backs Josh Emmanuel and Myles Kenlock to battle the senior pros for their places in the team during the season ahead.
Right-back Emmanuel, 18, and 19-year-old left-back Kenlock, pictured to the left and right of Christophe Berra above at training in Tuesday, both caught the eye in the final weeks of the season having initially broken into the team early in the campaign.
"Josh Emmanuel was excellent in the games that he played in last year,” McCarthy said. "Brentford to start with, Doncaster in the cup, Manchester United in the cup, the MK Dons here.
"He got a little bit of a towelling against Brighton up against Kazenga LuaLua for a while, but overall his performances were [excellent] and he’s got to be the second one to Chambo and challenging for that right-back role.
"I said to him and to Myles Kenlock, don’t be coming back as two daft young lads around the place, you’re first-team squad members and you’ve got to get in the team. I think we’ve got two good young full-backs who are challenging now.”
In midfield, Andre Dozzell, 17, made a goalscoring debut as a sub at Sheffield Wednesday in the closing weeks and was subsequently handed his first start in the home game against Fulham.
Dozzell
McCarthy says the England U17 international will also be involved during the season ahead, although it’s too soon for him to be considered a week in, week out regular, while Teddy Bishop, 19, finally returned to action after his injury problems for the last few games of 2015/16 and Adam McDonnell, also 19, made his Championship debut at Derby on the final day.
"They’ll be in the squad, Bish has always been in the squad, but Dozzell will be if he comes through pre-season and I don’t see why he wouldn’t,” the Blues boss added.
"Doz isn’t going to come in and play a full season, we can forget that. I’m looking at them running round here, they’re all sort of like racehorses and Dozzer looks like a colt.
Bishop with young keeper Harry Wright
"He’s a little bit skinnier than the rest but he’s a really talented player and if we can get him in the squad and Bish in the squad that adds a little bit of magic dust to the place, I think.”
In addition, one or two other younger pros have also caught McCarthy’s eye and will be looking to follow those four into the first team squad this season.
Among them are midfielder or striker Monty Patterson, 19, who helped New Zealand to the Oceania Nations Cup earlier this month, central midfield player James Blanchfield, 18, and Irish U18 international midfielder or frontman Shane McLoughlin, 19.
Blanchfield
"Monty’s done well, James Blanchfield has. Shane McLoughlin he had a good season in the U21s last year,” the Town boss continued.
"They all come back full of hope, that’s what’s nice about it. They come in excited by the prospect of getting in the team and I hope some of them do.
"Some of them have made it. I thought Myles and Josh ended up having really good games at the end of the season. We missed Bish and Andre Dozzell, he’s certainly a bright prospect. So I live in hope for all of them.”