Skipper Sam Morsy says he’s led to believe that striker Kayden Jackson will sign a new deal with Town.
Jackson is out of contract at the end of the season and manager Kieran McKenna recently intimated that new terms would be offered to the frontman, who joined the Blues from Accrington Stanley for £1.6 million in the summer of 2018.
The 28-year-old was out of favour under both Paul Lambert and Paul Cook but his Town career has undergone a renaissance since McKenna took over and he scored three times in six matches prior to suffering a hamstring injury which looks set to end his season.
Morsy, 30, was asked how the dressing room has been this season with a number of players who would feel they’re first team players either out of the XI or matchday 18 at any one time.
The Egypt international, one of the 19 players brought into the club last summer, cited Jackson as an example of how members of the squad have dealt with the situation.
"It’s been really good, to be honest, it’s been surprisingly good actually because there are all sorts of problems which can come from having a lot of good lads who are out of the squad and not playing,” Morsy said in an interview with The Athletic’s The Totally Football League Show (21 mins, 10 secs) in which he also talked about working with McKenna, adding goals to his game and Cook’s time at the club, as well as the Blues’ prospects for the remainder of the campaign.
"Probably Kayden Jackson [is the best example]. For a long part of the season, he didn’t get a sniff, wasn’t involved, but he carried himself really well, got on with his work, kept his head down, was quiet.
"Then the new manager’s come in, he’s had an opportunity, he’s done really well and he’s ended up getting injured.
"But I just thought that was a great example just because he wasn’t in the squad, he wasn’t involved but he maintained just being a really good professionals.
"And then when he did [get in the squad], he definitely took his chance. He’s out of contract in the summer and I’m led to believe he’s going to sign a new deal here, which is great for him.
"To be honest, the lads have conducted themselves really well. Even James Norwood as well, James Norwood has probably got an unfair reputation really.
"But again when he wasn’t playing, he was really good, even when he was with the U23s, he wasn’t negative, he was really good, then he’s come in, he’s taken his chance back in the team.
"All the lads who haven’t been involved, Woolfy [Luke Woolfenden] the same, all good lads. And it helps really because in football it can change fast and I think because these lads have behaved how they’ve behaved as soon as they’ve had a chance, everyone’s got right behind them.
"You can see at different clubs or when players act in a certain way when they’re not in the team, it’s easy to hold a grudge, the players will have some resentment towards them, but I can honestly say the lads have been great really, really easy.”