Midfielder Jack Taylor will be looking to start up where he left off in Town’s last game before the international break when they travel to West Brom for Saturday’s teatime clash that is being broadcast live on Sky Sports with a 5.30pm kick-off.
Taylor, 25, celebrated what was only his second Championship start for the Blues with a key goal in the 3-2 home win over Swansea, striking from distance to cancel out the Welsh club’s opener that saw Kieran McKenna’s men fall behind for the third game in a row.
He made it two goals in as many league starts, having also netted in Town’s previous game, a 2-2 draw at Rotherham, and he came off the bench in the one before that, another 2-2 draw at Birmingham, to make his 11th league appearance as a substitute for the club.
The former Peterborough player, who cost around £1.5 million in the summer transfer window, also scored two goals in four Carabao Cup appearances, the one that KO’d Premier League side Wolves in a 3-2 home win also being a spectacular strike.
Asked to pick the better of his long-range goals – against Wolves or Swansea – Taylor said: "I think the one against Swansea was the better because it went more into the corner of the net and I struck it better.
"I couldn’t really spend too long on the celebrations because I wanted to run back and get more momentum because it was still early in the game.
"It’s hard to describe what it’s like to score but I always back myself to get them from range. By the time I’ve hit the ball and looked up it’s already in. I’m obviously well happy and I was delighted the way both of those games turned out.
"Being a professional, you have to get over those moments and not dwell on them because it can soon flip on its head.
"You can’t get too carried away because if you make a mistake, it can allow the opposition to get back in front again. It’s great to score a goal but you have to make sure you concentrate because three points is always the main aim.”
Does it come naturally or does it take a lot of practice over the years? He added: "It’s a bit of both really. I’ve always seen myself as more of an attacking midfielder rather than a defensive one and from quite a young age I learned to shoot from range.
"If I saw a chance to have a go I would do it and not turn it down. You do a lot of repetitive stuff in training as well, so it’s a combination of what tends to come naturally and the practice I put in on the training ground.
"I used to love watching Paul Scholes when he was playing. I’m a Manchester United fan so I was brought up on watching them and I always liked Scholes. I loved the way Wayne Rooney could also score long-range goals but for me Scholes was the one.”
Taylor will be looking to make it three league starts in a row at The Hawthorns on Saturday as Town embark on a run of nine games – five at home and four on the road – in the space of just 34 days before 2023, a year in which McKenna’s men have so far been in scintillating form, draws to a close.
The Londoner added: "When we looked at the fixtures when they first came out it was obvious that December was going to be a busy and important month for us.
"But to be honest every game in the Championship is going to be tough, whether you’re away to Rotherham or away to Leicester.
"We’re really excited about it and all the players in the squad are fresh. Those who were away on international duty have come back in good spirits so we’re ready to attack the next block of games.”
Meanwhile, Taylor is waiting to see who replaces Stephen Kenny, who was dismissed this week by the FAI following a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign that saw the Republic of Ireland fail to qualify for the final stages to be hosted by Germany next summer.
Eligible through a grandfather who hails from County Longford, he was first called up three years ago for a UEFA Nations League match against Bulgaria and close to another this season, while his recent Town appearances must have boosted his chances of winning full international honours.
But despite the disappointment of not being capped, he was nevertheless quick to pay tribute to Kenny for the way he handled the situation.
Taylor, who was named the FAI’s U21 international player of the year for 2020, explained: "We’ll have to wait and see who the next manager is going to be and whether he contacts me.
"Stephen was always very good with me; even when I wasn’t picked, he would always call me up and have a chat. Huge respect to him for that and especially for picking me in the first place when he was the U21 manager, which was a few years ago now.
"I wish him well in the future and we’ll see what happens when the next manager is in place. It’s up to me to keep putting in good performances because that’s what they will want to see if they come and watch me here.
"I’ll do my best to get the minutes and the goals when I’m playing for Ipswich and that’s what I will be judged on by the new manager and his staff. Who knows what will happen?”