Town captain Sam Morsy has revealed he would have liked to have seen Cameron Humphreys go on loan to a Championship side in January following his excellent season at Wycombe Wanderers.
Last week, Humphreys was named Wycombe’s Young Player of the Season after contributing seven goals and six assists for the Chairboys in League One since his temporary switch was made last summer.
The on-loan Blues midfielder, who has often been dubbed the ‘Suffolk Messi’ by his new supporters, has the potential to earn a third consecutive promotion in his career at the age of 21 after achieving back-to-back promotions with Town from League One to the Premier League with Wycombe fourth and set to go into the play-offs.
Having taken to being a regular starter for the Buckinghamshire side like a duck to water, Morsy claims he had no worries as to whether Humphreys would succeed, suggesting that a move higher up the pyramid mid-season might have been on the cards.
"He’s having an amazing season which nobody had any doubts that he would,” he said. "Personally, I would have liked to have seen him go to a Championship club in January but the club kept him there.
"He’s doing well there and he’s had an amazing season, hopefully he can get another promotion under his belt but regardless he’s either going to go up automatically or be in the play-offs.
"It’s going to be a great learning curve for him, a full season under his belt and he’s going to come back here a better player.
"I speak to him every now and then, just tracking his progress and him knowing that anything he needs I’m there for him.
"He’s a very mature lad, some younger players you’d have to worry about but he’s not one of those. He’s very focused, a very good player and he’s having the sort of season I expected him to.”
Another Town player who has had an outstanding season is striker Liam Delap, the England youth international scoring 12 goals in his debut campaign in the Premier League since moving from Manchester City last summer.
Morsy admitted that Delap’s form has taken him a little bit by surprise, but says it is clear to see why the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United are showing a strong interest in the in-demand forward.
"He’s had a really good season,” the former Egypt international said. "He was at Hull last season and he did alright by his own admission, but nobody could have expected him to have the season he’s had, in all honesty. He’s scored just as many goals as he did last season.
"He’s having a great season and if you’re scoring a lot of goals for a team closer to the bottom than the top, you’re going to get a lot of attention. He’s very powerful and a very good finisher, he’s going to have a lot of suitors for sure.
"From when I first saw him training, he’s improved a lot. The manager and the coaching staff, that’s probably their biggest quality is that they can really improve players.
"Now you see the clubs he’s linked to, it’s not by accident, it’s because of how well he’s done.”
Asked whether there is a chance Delap may stay at Portman Road, Morsy said: "It’s a possibility. He’s a young lad, he’s got his feet on the ground, his dad was a player, his mum was a physiotherapist and is very switched on.
"He’s got really switched on people around him so they’ll have a think about it and they’ll make the right decision for this time in his career.”
Another striker who has hit the headlines recently is Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, after he announced he was leaving the club after 13 years at the club.
Vardy has gone on to win the Premier League title and the FA Cup with the Foxes, scoring 198 goals and earning 26 caps for England.
Morsy said: "What he’s done is a remarkable achievement. He’s come through the leagues and made a lot of people dream. He’s opened the path for people to do it, because of what he’s done people look at non-league and lower-league players more so he’s done incredible.
"He’s been an amazing player to win the Premier League as well, probably could have moved a number of times but stayed there. He’s played for England, should have played more for England in my opinion, had an amazing career and without being an incredible professional he wouldn’t have done that.
"I know he’s got the reputation for the Red Bulls and whatever but I guarantee he’ll be one of the best professionals around to be competing and playing at his age at the level.
"It’s going to be a sad day for Leicester, I don’t know what he’s going to do next but he’s still playing at a really good level and could continue for a number of years if he wanted to.”
He added: "It's his tenacity, his work rate and he’s got great quality as well – great finishing ability and great movement.
"I look at the winner in him – he's a winner, he’s tenacious, he’s intense, he can carry the team up the pitch because of his willingness and his pressing. I think he’s been a brilliant Premier League striker.”