Talk of Ipswich being in the market for a goalkeeper is like water off a duck’s back to present incumbent Arran Lee-Barrett.

Manager Paul Jewell has admitted that the signing of an experienced custodian will be one of his main priorities for next season — but Lee-Barrett, whose contract is not due to expire until 2013, has heard it all before.

Lee-Barrett, 28, said: “I’ve been here nearly three years and there has always been talk of goalkeepers coming in. You’ve got to welcome the competition they bring. With each keeper you can learn something new that can help to improve your game.

“Whoever the goalkeepers are at the club the one thing that never changes is the way we all work hard together as a group. We usually have about 30 or 40 minutes training on our own before we join the rest of the squad. Only one can play in the first team and whoever it is the others all support him.”

Although Lee-Barrett’s career has taken a roundabout route via Norwich, Cardiff, Weymouth, Coventry and Hartlepool and he only became an Ipswich player in August 2009, he was in the Town academy from an early age.

He laughed: “I started when I was 10 so that means I have known our goalkeeping coach, Malcolm Webster, for 18 years. We’ve both been away and come back again but it’s great to be working with him again. He’s someone for whom I and the rest of the goalkeepers have a great deal of respect.”

Photo: Action Images

Farmers_Union added 09:04 - Apr 7 Realistic, fair play ALB.
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mightytown added 09:08 - Apr 7 ALB is a good lad
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Superfrans added 09:22 - Apr 7 What a great attitude. Got a lot of time for ALB. Always gives his best, usually plays best when he has just been drafted into the team and is a great example to all the other players in terms of loyalty and commitment. We do need a new number 1, he knows that, but is as committed as ever. Good lad.
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rosseden added 09:50 - Apr 7 He's realistic and committed. Happy to have him in squad . . . .
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johnnyTGrotten added 10:22 - Apr 7 Feel for the guy. He's been more reliable than the 4 keepers brought in this season. I can think of more crucial saves he's made this season and a couple of world class ones too than anybody else. Then he's rewarded by being replaced by a 2nd choice goalkeeper from reading that couldn't even get in to their squad!
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jas0999 added 10:59 - Apr 7 Well done ALB! Really badly treated by PJ - he he can find another club in the Summer rather than stay here and be treated like that. However, he is not good enough.
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Mark added 11:08 - Apr 7 How has he been badly treated? 14 league starts in the Championship for a player released by a lower league club and currently the first choice, but surely no one can say that Lee-Barrett is of the standard required of a team looking for promotion to the Premier League so Jewell has tried to improve the situation, including by bringing in an England squad goalkeeper. We definitely need a new permanent first choice keeper and should not rely on Lee-Barrett. That said, the guy deserves a lot of credit for his attitute and performances and I am very happy to have him at the club as a number two.

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townietilidie added 12:17 - Apr 7 On what grounds is he not good enough to be our number 1 ? ALB is of no lesser standard than what we have had in goal in the last few years . How many people who post on here go to every game ? ALB has saved our bacon with top drawer saves on a few occasions this season , he has been the difference between 3 points or 1 point or even 0 points . That is what you expect of your keeper and he has not let us down . For those who say he is a good number 2 keeper , your first choice and sub keeper should surely be as good as each other so how can he be good enough for back up but not for a first team start ?

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Vic added 13:20 - Apr 7 I like the guy a lot - good professional. But not good enough to be considered our long term number 1. Reason being that he doesn't instill confidence into the players in front of him. Everyone makes mistakes, but he's prone to make them rather too often, which always leads to jitters in others. For this reason he'll never be more than a really good number two for me.
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BuckieBlue added 20:48 - Apr 7 Really good attitude. We hear good reports about Carlos, Jason (and others?) being great for team spirit....2 defeats in 14 including today, must be something going right behind scenes. As PJ said we need a few new faces for next season but need to keep bulk of squad for consistency.
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buryblue77 added 11:45 - Apr 8 ALB has done well in most of the games he's played and has really saved us at times. What keeper doesn't have a few shaky moments, I hope that whoever we bring in next season pushes ALB (and ALB pushes him) into becoming better keepers, I think he's more than proved himself this year.
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KenDubZ added 13:30 - Apr 8 ALB knows he's lucky to be a professional Keeper and earning easy money, so unlike the other cry babys hes just happy to be were he is and he's grateful good lad LB
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VanIsleBlue added 16:01 - Apr 8 Great attitude. There are not many professionals theses days in the mould of the Tommy Parkin's & Laurie Sivells who are loyal and fill in with great skill and enthusiasm when needed
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village_blue added 16:10 - Apr 8 Great attitude from ALB as he's been treated very unfairly by PJ you can play IF we chave nobody else but Who has kept the most clean sheets for the Town this season?
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fourth added 17:56 - Apr 8 It seems to me that confidence plays a big part in life and enables us all to test our boundaries and so increase abilities ALB has made some remarkable saves this season and needs to be playing with a forceful captain.
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Wickets added 11:41 - Apr 9 Good shot stopper but sadly not got the confidence or all round ability to perform at championship level week in week out.Pity he's a good lad.
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