Town midfielder Jonathan Douglas has hailed the conveyor belt of talent at Portman Road that sees a number of youngsters challenging him for his first team place.
Douglas and older colleagues like Cole Skuse and Kevin Bru are up against the likes of Teddy Bishop, Andre Dozzell, Adam McDonnell and James Blanchfield, all of whom are knocking on the door in a bid to earn a place in manager Mick McCarthy’s future plans.
While Bishop, Dozzell and McDonnell have already featured at first-team level, Blanchfield is yet to make his competitive senior bow but has had honourable mentions from the Town boss.
Douglas said: "I think they’ve all got massive futures ahead of them. Not only do they have the talent, they also get their heads down and work hard as well.
"I think that’s the most important thing because I’ve seen a lot of young lads with a lot of talent during my career and they haven’t really pushed on the way they should have done because of their attitude.
"But the boys we’re talking about, I think their attitude is spot-on and I can see them all doing well.
"If they ask me questions I’m always happy to help. I’ve been privileged enough to have played alongside good young midfielders at my previous clubs who went on to better things.
"I don’t think our lads are too far away from the likes of Fabian Delph and Jonny Howson [at Leeds], and it’s great to see the way they apply themselves in the right way.
"I had mentors when I was young. Craig Short, Garry Flitcroft and Andy Cole all had a big influence on me when I was a kid coming through at Blackburn.
"They were all legends in the game and players to look up to, so for them to come in, put their arm round you and explain what it takes to play at a good level was great.”
Manager Mick McCarthy agrees that it’s important for the younger players to learn from their more senior colleagues.
"It’s vital that they give their information, that they impart that to them,” the Town boss added. "I think it’s also vital that the youngsters go and ask, and watch how they play.
"Any of them who wanted to see two really good, professional performances from a senior midfield player, Dougie came in at Wolves and he was excellent in that game and in the Norwich game, having not played.
"There was no sulking, no feeling sorry for himself, he came in and did a great job for the team on both occasions. He’s a good player to have around, Dougie.”
Meanwhile, looking to his own future, 34-year-old Douglas admits he would like nothing more than to turn to management when his playing days come to an end.
He added: "I started my B licence in the summer along with Chambo and a lot of other lads from clubs around the country. It’s something I’m hoping to do in the future but I still think I’ve got a couple of years left in me as a player at a good level and I’m looking forward to that.
"I probably see myself as a manager rather than a coach, to be honest, but that’s still a long way off. I want to continue playing for as long as I can — you’re a long time retired — because I enjoy the buzz you get from a game like Sunday’s against Norwich. I want to play in as many games like that as possible.”
Douglas believes he has the perfect management mentor in Town boss Mick McCarthy and said: "He’s someone who has managed at the very highest level so if I didn’t want to take pointers from him I’d be mad.
"The way he goes about his job, and the way he treats people, is different class and his man-management skills are second to none.”