Kayden Jackson is relishing the prospect of lining up alongside Town new boy James Norwood after the pair shared six goals over two pre-season games at Colchester and Notts County in the past week.
While Norwood claimed a hat-trick in the 5-0 win at the JobServe Community Stadium last Friday and Jackson contributed the other two, it was the latter who rescued a 1-1 draw for Paul Lambert’s side in Tuesday’s clash at Meadow Lane.
Talking about the possibility of forming a two-man spearhead, Jackson said: "That would be ideal because I think I work best when I’m playing off someone, or in and around someone I can link up with.
"When you’ve got a partnership like that it can benefit the team massively, not just with the goals we would be getting but our work rate and the way we would bring other people into it. So hopefully it can blossom going forward.
"James is a big, lively character and hasn’t had any problems settling in. He’s a good guy but he isn’t joking all the time.
"He’s a similar player to what I was used to at Accrington, like Billy Kee. He will work very hard and not only bring goals to the team but do what they call the dirty side to the game and really put himself about.
"A lot of it might go unseen but as someone who has played alongside him a few times in pre-season I can vouch for the fact that you really appreciate a guy like him and what he brings to the team.
"Jordan [Roberts] and Danny [Rowe] will also flourish in that situation and we’ve definitely got goals in the team so we won’t place too much of a burden on James. I can see plenty of players, come the new season, contributing goals here and there.”
Jackson is praying this afternoon’s trip to the Abbey Stadium to face League Two opposition in Cambridge United will go smoothly and added: "The main thing is to get the extra fitness in and not picking up any more injuries.
"It has been a positive pre-season but we’ve suffered a few injuries along the way and we don’t want any more.
"It was really tough seeing Tristan [Nydam] break his ankle at Notts County the other night.
"Players hate to see their team-mates get a bad one like that. You see it on TV, although not regularly thank goodness, but seeing it live was really hard.
"But I know Tristan is mentally very positive and he won’t be fazed by it. He will bounce back and when he is fully fit again I think you’ll see an even better player.”
The return to full fitness of Welsh international midfielder Emyr Huws would clearly represent a welcome boost for Town and Jackson continued: "I’ve never actually played alongside Emyr in a proper game yet because of his injuries. But I can see from how he is in training that he is a handful.
"In fact I can’t see how any opponents are going to be able to cope with him if he’s back to his best because he really is that good. When he drives forward with the ball it is so difficult to take it off him.
"When you add in his creativity — he’s got a great eye for a pass — and his shooting ability he’s got a bit of everything. Hopefully it won’t be long before I can link up with him too.
"It will be good to get through the Cambridge game unscathed and have the lads fit and fresh for the trip to Burton next week. At the end of the day that’s the only result that counts.”
Jackson feels the pre-season trip to Germany, when Lambert’s new-look squad spent 12 days away from home, was beneficial to the squad.
"It was quite a remote destination and there wasn’t too much going on around us,” he said. "The Wi-Fi wasn’t the best either but at the end of the day you go there to work and we were living as a tight-knit group in each other’s pockets.
"It was good fun and it served its purpose in helping to get the fitness levels up. We also got to know the new lads very quickly, which helped them and us.
"I remember one occasion when there were eight lads in the same room watching the same TV programme so we were literally very close.
"It was good for morale and it has been a positive pre-season, getting rid of the bad memories from last season and trying to focus on all the positives to come in the new season.
"The 5-0 win at Colchester showed a lot of people what we’re capable of and a few players, myself included, who hadn’t played a great deal of football last season, were given a chance to show what we’re all about. Going forward, creating chances, scoring goals, we did well and it was enjoyable to play in the game.”
One major talking point among Town fans ahead of the big kick-off is whether boss Lambert will stick with Bartosz Bialkowski as first-choice goalkeeper following the breakdown of his proposed move to Millwall, or whether newcomer Tomas Holy, the 6ft 9ins Czech Republic-born keeper who was a free agent after leaving Gillingham, will get the nod.
Jackson added: "Tomas is massive and any crosses into the box, he’s there, which is comforting to the lads who are defending. Not only that, for a big man he’s great with his feet as well.
"He can pick a ball and he always looks like he has time on the ball, which for a keeper is quite rare.
"As a striker it’s definitely a good thing to have a keeper who is sharp with his distribution. He’s relaxed and doesn’t rush anything.
"Hopefully he can go on and have a good season with us but I’ve no idea if he or Bart will be given the nod.”
Left-sided defender or midfielder Luke Garbutt is another new face at Portman Road, having joined on a season-long loan from Everton, and Jackson said: "Garbs has a wand of a left foot and if we can get the ball to him — that’s all we need to do — he will deliver it right on the spot. He’s a good signing.”