Wales coach Brian Flynn has hailed Town keeper Lewis Price as ready for regular Championship football. Flynn also says that Price, who was called into new Wales manager John Toshack's first senior squad, is very much considered an international keeper of the future.
Flynn is Price's manager at U21 level and says the 20-year-old's Wales career could benefit from Kelvin Davis departing for the Premiership: "I would say he's good enough for the Championship right now. And if he does well for Ipswich then he has a golden future with Wales."
The Welsh are short of keepers playing first team football and Flynn says that impressive performances from the Town man could put him in serious contention for the number one jersey. Burnley's Danny Coyne has been in favour of late but is second choice at his club and Toshack would much prefer to field players involved regularly in senior football.
Flynn says that Price adding to the 11 senior games with the Blues (plus six while on loan at Cambridge United) could see the Bournemouth-born stopper make rapid progress at international level: "That would do him a power of good. We have to remember he's still very young by goalkeeping standards - he will make mistakes.
"But he has great potential and he is also confident in his own ability. Joe Royle has told me that he hopes Lewis will be the man to eventually take over from Davis.
"Maybe he wasn't anticipating it would happen as quickly as this. But Joe has never been afraid to give youngsters their chance. And I'm confident that if Price gets the opportunity he won't let him down."
Royle, perhaps with the introduction of Football League transfer windows in mind, has indicated that if Davis leaves he will be bringing in another more experienced keeper. The former England U21 stopper has been in talks with Sunderland - with whom the Blues have agreed what David Sheepshanks described as a "seven-figure fee" - and has been linked with West Ham.