Andre Dozzell has congratulated Town skipper Luke Chambers on reaching a career milestone of 300 league appearances for the club at Bolton on Saturday — and thanked him for his support to Town’s academy graduates.
Midfielder Dozzell, who is hoping to start at second-bottom Bolton on Saturday in place of the injured Jon Nolan, said: "Luke has been a big influence on all the young lads coming through from the academy, but not just him because all the senior lads, like Cole Skuse, have helped.
"They make us feel comfortable when we step up and they help us a lot, even if we are making mistakes.
"I don’t know if the same thing happens at every club across the land but that’s how it is here.
"As soon as I came through to join the first team squad they were all very supportive, off the pitch as well as on it. To play 300 league games for Ipswich is still a dream for me but it is a great achievement for Chambo.”
Dozzell has only made five league starts — plus one in the FA Cup — in the current campaign and admits he was hoping to be more of a regular choice in a season of major upheaval as Paul Hurst replaced Mick McCarthy last summer before being sacked in October to make way for Paul Lambert.
The 19-year-old son of former club favourite Jason Dozzell wasn’t helped, either, by sustaining a cruciate knee ligament injury in the opening game of last season and then being forced to spend almost a year on the sidelines before returning to action.
He admitted: "The injury set me back a fair bit. You know when you get that particular injury that you are going to be out for a long time and in my case it was about a year.
"I’ve only made six starts this season and to be honest I was hoping for a lot more than that.
"At the end of the day it’s up to me to play well enough to persuade the gaffer to play me and trust me.
"If I’m not doing that, fair enough, because I just have to keep working hard and keep going, and hopefully get more games.
"The gaffer has said I need a bit more physicality, although he also tells me that you don’t always need physicality if you play with your brain.
"I’ve just got to stick with what my game is because it’s not really about physicality — it’s about playing quickly and using my brain — and if you’re good enough on the ball you don’t need that physicality.”
Dozzell insists he has no regrets at deciding against a loan move that would have guaranteed him more football, adding: "Straight after recovering from my injury I didn’t think that was the time for me to be going out on loan.
"I’d had a year out and I still needed to strengthen my knee, so being in and around the first team here was fine.
"I haven’t played as many games as I wanted to but I have learned a lot this season and I believe it will help me in the long run.
"The football at U23 level doesn’t really do much for me. Maybe for a bit of fitness and to get the heart going, but it doesn’t push me because it’s not competitive enough.
"I want to be playing when three points are on the line and you’re playing to avoid relegation or whatever the case may be. That’s what we all need if we’re going to improve as players.
"I just need to keep working hard. The opportunity came up last Saturday against Hull when Jon was injured early on and it was good to get the minutes, more than 70 in the end.
"I need more minutes, more games and to stamp my authority on them to impress the gaffer. If I’m playing I’m happy.”
Despite his lack of club football, Dozzell remains on the radar of a number of Premier League clubs first alerted to his quality even before he made his Town debut in April 2016. But he smiled: "It’s football and there is always speculation. I tend not to take any notice of it and stay focused.
"I know the only way I am going to improve is by playing games and that’s what I want more than anything else here at Ipswich.”