Manager Mick McCarthy says he’s been a fan of new loan signing Tom Lawrence since he caught the eye playing against the Blues for Yeovil back in the 2013/14 season. The 22-year-old Wales international has joined for the season from Leicester City.
"I’ve been a fan of his for a long time, since he played against us for Yeovil,” McCarthy recalled. "I knew he’d been at Manchester United, in their U21s and that, so we knew of him.
"But he played against us for Yeovil the night we went down there and we won 1-0. He impressed everybody there with his technique, freekicks, corner kicks, playing on the left coming in on his right foot.
"And he also certainly impressed against us when he played for Blackburn, him and Rhodesy [Jordan Rhodes] played up front and murdered us, they ran us into the ground the pair of them.
"So he’s just someone I’ve been watching significantly, I’ve been keeping tabs on him and have been asking about.
"He went to Blackburn, he went to Cardiff, we couldn’t do it [at the time]. I wanted to do it this year. He’d had an ankle injury so they didn’t know what he was going to be doing but at the very last knockings I got the call asking if I’d like to take him, so I was delighted.”
He added: "He is very versatile. He’s trained for the last two days and already he’s impressed, you can see his ability.”
McCarthy has also added Jonny Williams on loan from Crystal Palace for his fourth spell. Asked whether the addition of Williams might hamper the development of the likes of Andre Dozzell and Teddy Bishop, McCarthy said: "Play the best team. Funny that, suddenly now I’m hindering someone’s development.
"What happens if he [gets fit] and Doz is ripping it up and in the team? I won’t play him.
"If Bish isn't playing and Kevin Bru is and Bru’s the best player, I won’t play Bish. They’ve all got to get in the team.
"That’s my job, to pick the side. And I think secondly to worry if I’m hampering somebody’s development.
"And if I am and we’re winning nobody will care. If I am and we’re not winning they’ll all be screaming murder. That’s the way it is, that’s my job.”
Does he believe he has the most exciting squad since taking over at Town? "I’m happy with it. I’ll let everybody else decide whether it’s the most exciting one.”