When recent signing Nathan Broadhead walked into the Town training ground for the very first time earlier this month, Wes Burns was able to deliver a personal thank-you to his fellow Welshman.
Broadhead arrived from Everton in a £1.5 million deal but his debut was delayed by some muscle tightness, manager Kieran McKenna deciding it wasn’t worth taking a chance on his new recruit in last week’s top-of-the-table clash with League One leaders Plymouth.
Burns revealed: "I hadn’t come across Nathan in the Welsh set-up before but I wanted to make sure I thanked him because the reason I had a call-up in the summer was that he had pulled out with an injury.
"I do owe him quite a bit on that one. The plan going forward is that we are not just teammates here at Ipswich, but also with Wales!”
Of course, Broadhead is only one of three new faces introduced to McKenna’s senior squad — Massimo Luongo and George Hirst are the others, with Harry Clarke also set to be unveiled, as Town embark on their final 20 league fixtures looking to close the gap on both Plymouth, who are seven points ahead, and second-placed Sheffield Wednesday, who are four points better off.
Town are understood to have at least one other target in mind before the closure of the transfer window at the end of the month and Burns is convinced that the three new arrivals already through the door are going to provide a substantial boost to their promotion chances.
Burns has been working alongside Luongo, Hirst and Broadhead this week and added: "The new guys are looking really sharp in training and looking as if they can add another element, another string to our bow as the saying goes.
"Massimo was with us for a few weeks before signing, while the other two have bedded in very quickly. Hirsty is a very confident boy and open to having a chat, you know, saying his piece when needed. That’s just how he is and I would say Broady is a little bit more reserved and just goes about his business as usual.
"In training, both of them have been looking sharp and I’m looking forward to watching both of them together when the time comes.
"It was great to see them all come through the door at such an important stage of the season — crunch time as they call it. Seeing the quality of player that the club is bringing in has given the other lads a lift in terms of confidence.
"If anything, it has also given everyone a bit of a kick because we all know they are coming here to take a first team shirt — and it is our shirts they want to take. Competition for places is big and I think everyone is thriving off that.”
Reflecting on last week’s 1-1 home draw with leaders Plymouth, Burns added: "We’ve still got 60 points to play for and we have to control the narrative within the club. Don’t think for one instance that anyone inside the club is worried about where we are at the moment.
"Like I said, we still have 60 points to play for, we’re seven points from Plymouth with a game in hand on them and that can close very, very quickly.
"Look at the gap that Sheffield Wednesday have closed on us and Plymouth; things can soon change over a couple of games.
"Nobody is worried in this building and we said at the start of the season that, come Christmas and the New Year, we have to put ourselves in a position where we’re there or thereabouts to go and win the league or get promoted. I think we’re in prime position to be honest.”