Wes Burns has reflected on how signing for Town turned his career – and his life – around as he now looks to make his mark at the very top level for both club and country.
Welshman Burns is closing in on a long-held ambition to play in the Premier League, and later this month he could also take a huge step towards realising his dream of representing his country in a major international tournament, namely Euro 2024 in Germany this summer.
After tomorrow’s home league clash with Sheffield Wednesday, Burns, clubmate Nathan Broadhead and Blues loanee Kieffer Moore will join up with their Welsh colleagues to prepare for next Thursday’s Euro play-off against Finland at the same stadium where Town were beaten 2-1 by Cardiff City last weekend.
Victory over the Finns will earn Wales another play-off fixture against either Poland or Estonia five days later, with the winners guaranteed a place in the Euro finals, and if that happens it would probably mean that all three players, fitness permitting, would be called up again for summer action.
Burns, 29, joined the Blues in the summer of 2021 from Fleetwood Town, where he spent four years, and prior to that he was at first club Bristol City, from whom he had loan spells at Forest Green, Oxford United, Cheltenham Town, Fleetwood and Aberdeen, playing predominantly in League One and League Two but also in non-league, the Scottish Premiership and only a few Championship outings.
He admitted: "If you had told me a few years ago that in 2024 I would be playing at the top end of the Championship with a club challenging for promotion to the Premier League and also in with a chance of playing for Wales in the Euros I’d have probably laughed at you, to be honest.
"The journey is never an easy one. It’s never a straight uphill battle – there are always twists and turns along the way – and I think the way I landed at Ipswich was a strange one. I’ve loved every second of it. Both the battle and the journey have been incredible and I have memories that I will hold on to forever.
"The situation I am in right now is pretty much what you work towards as a player. You want to be involved in such high-pressure games. It feels as if every game that comes along now is a life-or-death situation. I know every league game is worth just three points but it seems like so much more than that is at stake when you’re out there.”
Burns has certainly made the most of the opportunity on offer at Portman Road and has become an increasingly influential part of the side that manager Kieran McKenna has led from League One to the verge of what is commonly referred to as the best league in the world.
He has taken the scenic route to where he is today, having played over 400 career games in all competitions, and for Town he has so far clocked up 110 league appearances, including eight as a substitute, and scored 25 goals, as well as netting a further two in a dozen outings, three starts and nine off the bench, in FA Cup, League Cup and EFL Trophy fixtures.
Eager to ensure three points as the Owls’ expense tomorrow, along with Broadhead and Moore he will turn his attention to the Euro play-offs once the game is over.
"I’m massively pleased to have been selected and I think I speak on behalf of both Nathan and Kieffer as well,” he said.
"Getting called up by your country is a massive honour, so hopefully we go away and at least add something to the squad and make a contribution in the game against Finland, which we need to win to advance and ultimately see us qualify for the Euros.
"To be fair, since the World Cup and stuff, they have tried to do a little bit of a restructure within a few departments and try something new. It has worked because we have gone unbeaten since then and results have been good.
"You look back to the Croatia games and results, and Wales has always been regarded as a small nation in football, but we are rewriting that.”
Asked if he would be glad to temporarily escape the intensity of the promotion race with Ipswich and do something different, Burns added: "To be honest, we are going from one high-pressure bubble to another. If we don’t win our next two games we don’t go to the Euros.
"I would like to get to a major tournament. If I can play a part along the way, it will be huge – that’s the kind of environment we are stepping into – and it’s totally different pressure to league football. But the prizes on offer in the two levels are both massive.”
In-form striker Moore has made the desired impact since arriving on loan from Bournemouth in January, scoring six goals in his nine appearances so far, and Burns said: "It speaks for itself, doesn’t it? What is it – six goals in nine games? Those types of numbers are the reason why we wanted to get him in so badly.
"He’s added a different dynamic on the front line and he’s a massive threat from attacking set-plays as well as in open play. You can also see how effective he can be in helping us to defend corners and free-kicks as well.
"He’s been massive for us and because I’ve known him that bit longer than the other lads, I knew he was a great guy and I’m not surprised by the impact he has made.
"He has fitted right in, which is great, and he has shown his worth with the goals he has scored. You pay big money for strikers and you want them to deliver, which he is certainly doing.
"Even in games when he doesn’t score, his off-the-ball work rate is top end and that’s pretty much what we needed from the strikers coming in. Ali [Al-Hamadi] has been exactly the same and whenever he has had his chance to come on and make an impact he has done so.”
Burns was asked how difficult it had been to move on from the huge disappointment of returning from Cardiff six days ago having taken a second-half lead but then conceding twice in stoppage time to end a run of six straight Championship wins.
He added: "I think we all knew it was a tough one to take but we haven’t been on the receiving end of many of those in the last 12 to 18 months. We’ve been on the other side of them, which has been great.
"But I think you always know with this group of players that no matter the result, how big or bad it was, going into the next game the principles will always be the same and we will look to take three points this weekend.”