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McCarthy: Varney Could Win Extended Deal - Ipswich Town News

Boss Mick McCarthy says Luke Varney’s contract could be extended beyond January if the striker, who rejoined the Blues on a six-month contract in August, puts in more displays like his performance in Saturday's 3-0 victory over QPR at Portman Road.

Varney was handed the first start of his third spell with the Blues and netted his second goal of the season - his fourth for the club - in what his manager called a "fab” display which he felt "epitomised everything I would want about a team of mine”.

McCarthy outlined why he opted to start Varney: "Didzy needs a bit of a physical presence up front with him, any of them do.

"They benefit from that because when the ball goes up to Reg or the centre-halves it doesn’t always come back.

"You know there’ll be some sort of challenge on it and whether it had been Freddie [Sears] or Didz as it was, both of them benefit from that kind of physical presence up front.

The Town boss says the much-travelled Varney will be in with a chance of being offered a further deal.

"Yes,” he said when quizzed on the likelihood of the 34-year-old winning an extension to his deal. "He’s been injured [with a hamstring problem for much of the time since he re-signed].

"I can’t really show much more faith in a player when we’ve just drawn one and lost one here and everybody’s probably watching to see what happens and it could be a bit messy if we lose and I pick a centre forward to play.

"If that’s not a vote of confidence or showing faith in somebody, I don’t really know what is.

"He’s the fittest he’s been. If he was ever going to play it was today because he’s been terrific in training. He’s had a really good couple of weeks.”

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