Loan signing Cameron Carter-Vickers has stressed the importance of a second successive league win for Town when they face rock-bottom Burton Albion at Portman Road on Saturday.
Carter-Vickers, who is on loan from Tottenham until the end of the season, played an important part in last week’s 2-0 win at second-bottom Sunderland as he helped Mick McCartney’s men to keep a clean sheet for the first time in his three appearances for the club.
The Southend-born defender said: "As a defender keeping clean sheets is one of your main concerns and you want to keep one every time you go out on the pitch to play.
"It was very important to get one last week and I hope we can build on it in the weeks ahead. The most important thing is to win, of course, but when you do it with a clean sheet it’s much better.
"I’m a defender who likes to get stuck in, win headers and win big tackles. It’s about helping the team as much as you can to keep clean sheets and win games. Blocks, challenges, it’s all part of defending.
"Since I had a nailed-down position I’ve always been a defender. The manager here was an international defender in his playing career and he can definitely help me. In every training session he is giving me tips on things I need to do better in order to improve. He’s very helpful.”
Carter-Vickers, 20, is likely to face a Burton side propping up the table after a run of five successive defeats — one in the FA Cup followed by four in the league — and in their last nine outings Nigel Clough’s team have managed just one victory, although it was a 3-0 success at Sheffield Wednesday.
The Tottenham youngster added: "The Burton game is a great opportunity for us to get three points and build on what we did at Sunderland last week.
"Hopefully we can get a little run going now. We don’t want to make it win, lose, draw or anything like that, we want a run of wins. We’ll definitely be aiming to win every game we go into.
"I feel I have settled in well here. The other players have been really helpful, both on and off the pitch, and I’m getting to know them all.
"I’m also getting to know the manager and how he wants things done, so it’s going pretty well.”
Carter-Vickers clocked up 19 appearances on loan to Sheffield United this season, including the Blades’ 1-0 league win over Town at Bramall Lane in October, and his farewell outing was in their FA Cup third round victory by the same scoreline at Portman Road in January.
He said: "I was a little bit surprised when they said my loan was ending. Obviously, I was prepared to be there for the rest of the season so when I heard I was going back it came as a bit of a shock, but I’m delighted to be here.
"It all happened quite quickly but I’m happy with how things have worked out. I’m still in the Championship and playing regularly.
"I had a chat with the academy manager at Tottenham and he spoke to the gaffer there. I think it was always the plan, that I should go back out on loan, and they were trying to find a suitable club for me.
Bryan Klug was my U16 manager at Tottenham and I played a few games for him. I think he had a part to play in me coming here.
"I know Grant Ward as well from being at Tottenham with him but I didn’t speak to him before I came down here. When I came down here for the first time I went to get some food in the hotel and I bumped into him then. He asked what I was doing in Ipswich and that was the first time we spoke about me coming here on loan.
"My first experience of Championship football came at Sheffield United and I found it helped my development. I left there a better player than when I went and I’m very grateful to them for the coaching I received.
"It definitely helped me to improve as a player and it was a very positive experience for me.
"At Sheffield we played with a back three but I don’t have a preference one way or the other. I got used to it up there but growing up in Tottenham’s academy we always played a back four. I don’t mind what system I play in.
"Every Championship game is a test, hard and physical. You never really know what you’re going to get from one game to the next. It’s a very positive experience and I’m enjoying it.”