Striker Ben Morris could be the next Town youngster to join Vanarama National League Aldershot on loan, Blues boss Mick McCarthy having revealed that Shots boss Gary Waddock was impressed with the 18-year-old as he scored twice in Monday’s 3-0 U23s victory over QPR at Playford Road.
Waddock stood with McCarthy for the whole game in which new Town striker Aaron Drinan scored the opening goal before Morris lashed in two efforts from distance, the second the pick.
"I played with him for Ireland, he’s a really good mate of mine, played with him for Millwall,” McCarthy said of Waddock.
Town currently have defender George Fowler, who was involved with the Blues U23s on Monday, and midfielder James Blanchfield with the Shots, while Adam McDonnell spent time there earlier in the season and former midfielder Kundai Benyu was with the Hampshire club last season.
"They’re all doing very, very well, I have to say,” McCarthy said. "All the lads who have gone out on loan, they’ve all benefited from it, there’s no doubt about that. Woolfy [Luke Woolfenden] as well at Bromley, Chris Smith at Chelmsford, Adam McDonnell at Aldershot, of course.
"That’s something that we should be doing and keeping the players a bit longer, provided we can loan them out, because if they can’t play here, that’s tough. But if they can go out and play, be on loan, I think it gives them a bit longer here to see whether they’re progressing enough to get in the first team.”
âš½ï¸ Drinan 48'
âš½ï¸ Morris 54'
âš½ï¸ Morris 76'
Watch as Town's U23s defeated QPR 3-0 at Playford Road earlier this afternoon #itfc pic.twitter.com/v60lZQXU21– Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) January 15, 2018
He says Waddock has been pleased with the players Town have loaned him and might be after another: "He’s delighted, he’d take Adam back I think he quite fancies Ben Morris as well, but who wouldn’t after his performance the other day.”
McCarthy was pleased to see the U23s win on Monday followed by the U18s 2-1 defeat of Dagenham and Redbridge in the FA Youth Cup fourth round the following day and he is pleased with the progress the academy is making.
"I do think that youth teams in general are cyclical, it doesn’t always come round every year," he added.
"I remember Manchester City when I was there winning the Youth Cup, I don’t know how many times they’ve won it since and that team that came through and almost all those players ended up playing in the first team, same as Manchester United.
"I’m not saying we’re going to win the Youth Cup but you do get a time, you do get a spell where there are some good players. And we’ve got some good players coming through.
"And we’re four points off the play-offs, so it’s not bad for us, but it’s a good spell for the club in terms of the youth teams and U23s, although the results [aren’t the be all and end all].
"You’ve got to produce players with the U23s, results don’t really matter, although Gerard Nash will tell you they do and we all want to win and players want to win.
"But if they can get two or three players in the first-team squad, that is fundamentally their job. But I like winning, I have to be honest.”