x

Hutchinson Focused on Euros - Ipswich Town News

Blues forward Omari Hutchinson insists his focus is on winning the European Championship with England’s U21s rather than his future at club level.

The 21-year-old was one of the Young Lions’ star performers as they beat Czechia 3-1 in their opening fixture in Slovakia last night.

Hutchinson has been linked with a move away from Portman Road this summer with Aston Villa, West Ham and Leeds all credited with an interest, although not via overly reliable sources.

The contract he signed after joining the Blues for a club record £20 million from Chelsea last summer includes a £35 million relegation release clause.

But Hutchinson says, having taken his caps tally to five last night, that his mind is currently on the Euros and the England U21s rather than on a quick return to the Premier League by moving clubs.

"I'm focused on this tournament,” he said. "I just want to win games and I want to win the tournament. I think it's a big tournament for us and this is my main focus.”

He added: ”I think we played really well. The manager wanted us to have a good start because we knew they would come out strong. We got the job done.

"You've got to adapt quickly. It’s a new squad, we hadn't really played together.”

Hutchinson played on the left against the Czechs, rather than the right or centre as he does at Town, and manager Lee Carsley says he likes flexibility from his players.

"I try not to be too restrictive in the positions that players play,” he explained. "It’s more about the attributes and areas of the pitch we can get them into.

"I’ve seen Omari so many times at Ipswich get in that pocket, turn and drive with the ball. If he can do that more often for us and be even more selfish when he’s driving, he’ll never get any complaints from me. The more players we’ve got that can play for England, the better chances we’ve got.

"There’s definitely a tendency, and I’ve done it in the past, to over-coach because of the [short] amount of time you get with the players. If you give someone too much information, they forget it. So it’s just two or three points per player on the areas of the pitch we can cause the opposition a problem.”

Quizzed on whether he agrees with Carsley’s suggestion he should be more selfish, Hutchinson said: "I guess so. When I look back at the video, I’ll see what I can work on.

"I’m just trying to improve and impact the game more. If he’s telling me to dribble more, then I’ll try to dribble more.”

The England youngsters next take on Slovenia on Sunday and Germany next Wednesday before the competition goes into its knockout phase.

Former Blues striker Liam Delap is not in the squad with his new club Chelsea understood to have come to an agreement with the FA which saw him withdrawn from the competition in favour of the Club World Cup in the US.

Town forward Jaden Philogene would have been in the squad but for the knee injury he suffered with the Blues in April.

What to read next:

[Podcast] Blue Monday - New Podcast Now Online
A new podcast from the Blue Monday team is now available.
Six Released as Town Women Announce Retained List
Ipswich Town Women have announced their retained list following the 2024/25 season in which they won the FAWNL Southern Premier League title and promotion to the second tier, now known as the WSL2, for the first time with six senior players released.
Ex-Town Loanee Andrews Now Strong Favourite For Brentford Job
Former Blues loanee Keith Andrews is now an odds-on favourite with all bookies offering prices on the Brentford job, Town boss Kieran McKenna having drifted out overnight.
McKenna Some Bookies' Favourite For Brentford Job
Town boss Kieran McKenna is some bookies’ early favourite for the vacant Brentford job following confirmation that Thomas Frank has taken charge at Tottenham Hotspur, but with little real clarity on who the Bees’ next head coach might be.
Hutchinson's England U21s Win Euros Opener
Blues forward Omari Hutchinson helped England’s U21s to a 3-1 victory over Czechia in their opening group game at the European Championship in Slovakia.
Valencia Linked With Burgess
La Liga Valencia are showing interest in Town centre-half Cameron Burgess, according to Spanish reports.
Hutchinson's England U21s' Euros Campaign Starts Against Czechs
Town forward Omari Hutchinson and his England U21s teammates get their European Championship campaign under way when they face Czechia in Dunajská Streda, Slovakia this evening (KO 8pm, Channel 4).
TWTD Questionnaire 2024/25
There’s still time for you to fill in the annual TWTD Questionnaire, your chance to look back in judgement on Town's 2024/25 season
Town Fans Take Total Raised For Food Bank to £20,000
Town supporters donated more than £6,000 to Ipswich Town Fans Supporting Foodbanks in 2024/25, taking the overall total raised since the group began their monthly matchday collections in January 2023 to £20,000.
International Round-Up
While Town’s club season is now over, the Blues saw six first-team players get minutes for their countries over the last week during the June internationals. Here is a round-up of how they all fared.