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Nydam: I've Not Made It Yet - Ipswich Town News

Town new boy Tristan Nydam may have secured his own peg in the first team dressing room but he does not feel he has arrived in any other way.

The 17-year-old academy graduate has nine senior appearances to his credit in the current campaign, three starts in the league and a further two in the Carabao Cup, plus four outings from the bench in Championship fixtures.

But Nydam insisted: "Once I make a certain number of first team appearances — maybe 50 in the league — I’ll consider myself as a first-team regular. But at the moment, no, I don’t. I’m still at the stage where I’m trying to establish myself.

"It was massive when Chambo came into the physio’s room and spoke to me. He said, ‘Do you want to move into the first team dressing room?’. I didn’t think he would go through with it but he did and it’s a huge thing for any young player to make that step.

"I think Chambo has a word with the gaffer and then speaks to the player. Me, Flynn and Andre have our pegs in there now, but it doesn’t mean we have arrived.”

Nydam is in line for senior appearance number 10 at Bramall Lane on Saturday when Town take on a Sheffield United side newly promoted from League One but who have announced their return to England’s second tier by taking 21 points from their first 11 games and sit in third place in the current table, three points and five places better off than Town, who have a game in hand.

It represents a big test for Mick McCarthy’s men and Nydam, who will turn 18 next month, when it's expected he will sign an extended contract, added: "It would be a massive confidence boost for the lads if we can beat one of the teams at the top.

"I’ve heard the atmosphere there can be hostile but I played at Elland Road against Leeds and it was like that there. I just block out the fans and don’t really pay any attention to them. We’re on the pitch and focused on the team and our own game — you don’t really focus on anything else.”

Nydam’s elder brother, Miguel, will be cheering him on but he said: "My mum doesn’t like the long trips and the driving that’s involved. She comes to all the home games and the whole family will be at the Norwich game.

"It would be something really special to be involved in the Norwich game. I’ve been here since I was nine and even at the younger age levels it was something special, so to be involved in the senior game against Norwich will be a massive experience for me.”

But it’s Sheffield United first for the diminutive Nydam and their players, especially his direct opponents in midfield, will be coming up against him for the first time. He added: "I’m not the biggest but I try to give it out when I need to. That’s how I make up for my lack of height.

"I remember my first training session with the first team, when I was only 16, and I went into a challenge with Tommy Smith. I’m not afraid to dish it out. I was thinking I had better be a bit cautious because I didn’t want to injure anyone but I also knew I had to go for the ball. I was also trying to catch the eye of the gaffer and TC [Terry Connor].”

Nydam is also coming to terms with his status away from the pitch, laughing: "I haven’t been recognised that much in the street to be fair, just a couple of times, but when I am I’m happy to stop and have a chat. I’m still getting used to signing autographs and I think I’ll have to shorten my signature.”

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