Town boss Mick McCarthy believes summer signing Adam Webster will go on to play in the Premier League. The 21-year-old, who joined the Blues from Portsmouth in July for £700,000 plus Matt Clarke who moved in the opposite direction, was widely viewed as the man of the match in Saturday’s 0-0 home draw with Aston Villa.
"He’ll go on and play in the Premier League,” McCarthy said. "Hopefully it’s with us, if not it’ll be with somebody else because he’s quick and he can handle the ball.
"Maybe in another team, at Portsmouth he would have been asked to get it and play a bit more, and he can do that.
"We saw that when he played against us [for Pompey in the FA Cup last season], he’s a very capable footballer and he hasn’t done that as much.
"But I think that’s because he’s come up two divisions and he’s learning his trade again.
"What I love about him is he’s bought into our defensive side of the game and he’s got better and better. I’m really pleased with him.”
He added: "He’s a good player, I keep saying that. That’s what I like about him more than anything, his defending. We know he can play, he’s a very talented footballer.”
We understand West Wittering-born Webster’s performance at the weekend caught the eye of watching Premier League scouts, which is not something which would surprise McCarthy.
"People will be watching him, there’s no doubt about that because he can defend but he’s very comfortable with the ball,” he continued. "He can break forward, he’s got two good feet, he’ll play in the Premier League.”
The Town boss spent more money on the 6ft 3in tall former England U18 and U19 international than any other player since he joined the Blues and he says that as a result it’s particularly gratifying to see the move working out.
"It’s always nice, especially if you’ve gone and spent money on them and they turn out to be good," he said.
"If you’re taking free transfers in all the time and Bosmans then you are taking a chance because generally for some reason that’s what they are, but that’s the most we’ve spent on a player. But, to be fair, it looks like it, he’s a good guy.”