New Town loanee Luke Matheson, who arrived this week from Wolves until the end of the season, has declared himself fit and ready to start when required — and the sooner the better.
The 18-year-old is back in League One, where he launched his career with first club Rochdale, and knows what to expect as the Blues launch the second half of their campaign at home tomorrow to a Blackpool side just two points behind them in the table.
Matheson said: "I’m ready in terms of match fitness. I pride myself in never letting that go, even in the off-season. I sat down with the gaffer yesterday and went through the Ipswich way. He talked me through how we play etc and I’m getting to grips with that.
"I’ve been shown round the stadium and I can’t wait to play at Portman Road. It’s a massive stadium but playing without fans in a first team game is going to be really weird.
"I’ve played in U23 games at Wolves, where it’s normal to have a few parents watching, but you thrive off the home crowd as a player so I will find it very strange to not have fans present.”
Asked how he had settled in since heading for Suffolk on Monday evening, he replied: "I’ve loved it so far. The boys have been absolutely fantastic with me, especially players like Cole Skuse and the skipper, Luke Chambers.
"They have been amazing and I even had phone calls the night I drove down here. It was half-eleven at night and I had calls asking me how my journey was going — little things like that made me feel so welcome and at home.
"I can’t find the words to describe it but it means so much to me. I’m still an 18-year-old boy and I’m a bit scared to come to this whole new environment that I’ve never experienced before. But the gaffer told me it’s very similar to what I was used to at Rochdale last season.
"He said I will fit right in if I give him the work ethic and the enthusiasm he saw from me first-hand in the game against Ipswich last season. We went on to talk about tactics and specifics but he said that if I do the things he has seen from me in the past I should fit right in.”
Lambert must decide whether Matheson should start in his customary right-back role or be on the bench for the visit of the Tangerines. Should he take the former option it would then give the manager another decision to make regarding skipper Luke Chambers, the team’s only ever-present this season.
Chambers has filled in at right-back but prefers to operate from the middle of the defence and if Lambert is happy to accommodate him there it means either Luke Woolfenden or Mark McGuiness having to drop out and we will need to wait and see if Town take to the field with a new-look back four.
Matheson is very much a modern full-back who loves to get forward when the situation permits. "It’s about finding the balance of when I can and can’t get forward,” he added. "When I can I’ll be sprinting at 110 miles an hour down the wing.
"If I can’t get forward I’ll sit in and cover but I’ll be more than happy to run up and down the right-hand side of the pitch.
"I’ve experienced the busy League One schedule with Rochdale so I know what it’s going to be like. I’m lucky I had that before and I’m keen to experience it again with Ipswich.
"I’ve been playing in the U23s at Wolves and they have enhanced my development as a player. It’s different to Rochdale because there a lot fewer games with the U23s, which means spending more time on the training pitch and also on extras after training, like crossing, my touch etc.”
Matheson has also had experience of training with the senior squad and added: "One session training against Adama Traore, the amount of things I can learn about what I can and can’t do against that calibre of player is crazy. Then Nuno [Espirito Santo, manager] comes in and has a little chat with me and tells me things.
"Even in the changing room, things like [Conor] Coady and the leader he is. The little things I can pick up in just one day in the first team building is crazy to me.
"When I was up against Traore he was on the right and I was on the right for the other team so I didn’t really have a one-v-one situation with him.”
The youngster also knows what to expect if, as expected, he is in the squad for Tuesday’s trip to face a Peterborough side very much in the promotion race — the dreaded initiation song when new arrivals are forced to perform in front of their new colleagues.
Matheson added: "I remember the first one I did at Rochdale when I was 14 and it was the worst experience of my life so far, especially with some of the players being in their 30s.
"The Wolves one wasn’t too bad because most people were only around 21 or 22 in the U23 group. When the time comes I’m just going to go with the same song I’ve always gone with — Wonderwall.”
Asked about his idols growing up and if they had influenced his style of play, Matheson said: "I’ve never really had idols. I’m aware of great right-backs life Cafu, the Brazilian, but he was way before my time.
"In the modern day there are players like Trent [Alexander-Arnold] and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, two completely different players but two absolutely phenomenal right-backs. I wouldn’t say I’ve tried to model my game on either of them, though. I just want to be Luke Matheson.”
Matheson comes across as an intelligent, well-rounded individual and the fact that his circle of friends has not changed over the years speaks volumes. He explained: "My friends are a group that I’ve known since we all met in year seven at high school. We’re like a little family and we come from all over the world.
"There are people from Mongolia and Africa, for example, and we’re like a bunch of misfits if you like. They’re all absolutely buzzing for me with what’s happened and there’s no jealousy.
"I remember going into school after my debut and sitting with them and when I was away with the England U17s, which meant a week off school, we were constantly messaging each other. We’ve always been close and before Covid we would go to the cinema together.
"I might have offered to pay for them all but they didn’t want to let me. I would insist and do it but the next morning I would get in my car and find a fiver here and a tenner there. They don’t let me do things for them but I love them to pieces.”