Defender Cameron Burgess could not be happier right now, so much so that he insists he is loving every minute of his time with Ipswich and that there is nowhere he would rather be playing football right now.
Burgess, who turned 28 last month, is in the best form of his life, so on top of his game that he has played his way into the Australia squad, while at club level he is relishing the challenge of keeping Town in the race for automatic promotion as they look to pile on the agony for new Birmingham boss Wayne Rooney at St Andrew’s tomorrow.
With Town having won 11 of their 13 league games, sitting second in the table five points behind leaders Leicester and also having a game in hand, it was put to Burgess that their form is simply not normal for a newly-promoted side and he replied: "I guess so. I’ve said a few things about teams that have gone up and what they may or may not have done.
"I don’t think we look too much into it, to be honest. For us, it’s about ticking off the next game rather than dwelling on what we’ve just done in the previous one.
"We believe in ourselves and the belief is there for all to see. I believe in the boys in that dressing room, and that’s off the pitch as well as on it. It’s a top, top group and we’re just looking forward to the next game each and every time it comes along.”
Burgess was also asked if he felt that opposition teams might start to target Ipswich differently in an effort to cancel them out, while they must also contend with the fact that supporters’ expectation to win games has gone through the roof.
"We can’t control any of that,” he said. "We’ll just continue to go out for every game and try to win it, which is what we do in every single game we play. We’ve talked about it before and we can only control what we can control as a group and that won’t change.
"Honestly, this is the best place for me to be playing football at the moment. The way we play allows me to get the best out of my game and I’m able to show what I can do, both on the ball and off it.
"It’s testament to the staff members we have here and the teammates I have around me because they allow me to play my best game. I’m loving every minute of it really.”
Does he feel under-rated as a player, given most people probably put him in the "big defender” category because of his aerial dominance? "I don’t really give it too much thought really,” he said. "It’s just a case of me doing what I have to do and what I’m asked to do as a player by the manager.
"I’ve probably played for different teams over the last few years and played a different style of football, maybe not always playing to my strengths, I guess, at times. It’s just a case of what the manager asks of me and I couldn’t be happier doing what he asks us to do because it’s the best way to play football in my opinion and hopefully I can continue doing that.”
Burgess has matured considerably since his £750,000 move from Accrington in 2021 but accepts he still faces a battle with George Edmundson to claim the central defence slot alongside Luke Woolfenden, who is one of only three players to have started every league game this season, goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky and five-goal forward Conor Chaplin being the other two.
When Burgess was left out of the side for the home wins over Hull and, more recently, Plymouth last weekend, it was Edmundson who replaced him. But in midweek for the Carabao Cup home defeat by Fulham, when manager Kieran McKenna opted to make 11 changes, Burgess was restored to the starting line-up with Edmundson an unused substitute.
He added: "It’s just testament to the squad we have at the club and George is another experienced player who has trained well. We’re both competitive players and he’s a top, top guy. I’m pleased for him and obviously it was brilliant for him, as well as the team, to get two big wins when he came in.
"It’s a strong squad and I’ve been saying it ever since I joined the club. There is even greater strength in numbers now and we’re all happy for each other, no matter who plays, and we’ll keep moving forward as a squad.”
Burgess was up against his first club on Wednesday, having made his debut for the Cottagers – and in English football – at Portman Road in August 2014, when he was only 18, in a game that Town won 2-1.
Reflecting on Wednesday’s game, he added: "Fulham are not just a Premier League team, they are a very good Premier League side as well. It was a tough game, they made it really difficult for us and they were a really well-drilled unit.
"They made changes as well but that side was full of top players and when it came to off the ball, as well as on it, they were at a top level.
"It was another test and an opportunity for us as a squad to gain vital experience from, which we’ll use going forward in our season.
"It also provided a chance for players to get lots of minutes on the pitch and at the same time test ourselves against a team from a higher level. We’ll take the learning points from it and go again.”