Blues boss Mick McCarthy believes Tristan Nydam will eventually establish himself as a central midfielder, the versatile 17-year-old having already played in that role, left midfield and at left-back in his fledgling senior career.
Academy product Nydam broke into the first team at the start of the season and has now made four senior starts and three sub appearances, and has also added an England U19 cap to the U18s game he played for the national team last season.
"I think he’ll be a central midfield player, and that is in a two or a three or a four,” McCarthy said.
"He can play wide left, he can play at full-back, but the central position, he played there at Luton, in front of the two sitters, and I thought he was excellent then.
"And when he went to do the job on Eunan O’Kane on Saturday, I thought he stopped him playing for a long time and played himself.
"So, I think centrally is going to be it because he’s very aware, he’s technically very good, tactically he’s aware of what’s going on around him and he's a tough little bugger as well, he doesn’t mind putting his foot in. He’s really game. I love him, Tristan, and Downesy as well, to be fair, Flynn similarly.”
Is it good for a young player to get experience in a variety of roles? "There are not many good enough to play in three different positions, as a 17-year-old to go and play at left-back, to play in central midfield, to play at wide left, to play in a two in midfield or a three in midfield.
"I don’t think there are that many that could cope with that, to be honest with you. And he has. Wherever he’s played, he’s coped admirably.”
Meanwhile, right-back Callum Connolly was left out of the side on Saturday after playing the previous two games having joined the Blues on loan from Everton for the season on deadline day.
McCarthy says no one is assured of a place in the team and that players have turned down the chance to join the Blues when that’s been made clear.
"No guarantees for anybody,” he added. "I have had players that won’t come because of that, but hey ho.
"He played the first game and I thought he did all right, playing against Jamie Mackie was a tough assignment, but I thought he did OK.
"And the second game he played I just changed the shape and he was unfortunate. But there are no guarantees, not for anybody.”