Boss Mick McCarthy paid tribute to “bonkers” Stephen Hunt after the Irishman inspired Town to Saturday’s 2-0 victory over his former side Reading at Portman Road. The 32-year-old, making only his second league start since joining the Blues in November, was lively throughout and created the opening goal for Daryl Murphy.

“Hunty’s bonkers and I love him for that,” McCarthy said. “He’s great, he comes in and he lights the place up. He says things that people just wouldn’t say, and does things.

“I went to see him [on Friday] while he was having a massage and I said to him ‘Is that Hunty on there?’ and he said ‘Yes’, so I said ‘I need a word with you’. He said ‘I’m already on it, already on it’.

“I said ‘What?’ and he said ‘The team, I’ve asked somebody else to phone them so they won’t know who’s called them’.

“I said ‘How do you know what [I was going to ask you]?’. He said ‘That’s what you want, isn’t it?’ and Skusey said ‘He wants to know how many fans are travelling, what do you think he wants to know!’.

“And it wasn’t what I wanted to know at all. I didn’t want to know their team, I knew what it was anyway because they’d won 7-1 so it was going to be the same team.

“He’s just great, he gets the team going, he laughs at himself and he’s just a really good pro. He’s lovely to have around. He gets the crowd going, he’s a great character.

“He’s been like that all week,” he added. “Hunty’s got that, he comes in on Monday morning, we’re playing Reading and he’s bouncing around and he fancies it. And then Tuesday. He gets in your head - ‘Let’s have a look at you’.”

McCarthy says he told Hunt he was set to be subbed shortly before his run from halfway which led to Murphy’s 62nd minute goal.

“Amazingly, I’d said to him that in five minutes he was coming off. Maybe because he knew he was coming off he found a little bit more energy to create the goal. He was just goosed, he’s not played that much football.”

Meanwhile, on-loan right-back Freddie Veseli had an unexpected weekend off with Bury's League Two game at Accrington Stanley postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Elsewhere, the Blues are one of a number of clubs reported to have been keeping tabs on Dutch keeper Kelle Roos, who has joined Derby County from Nuneaton Town.

Town are understood to have invited the 21-year-old for a trial, while Liverpool, QPR, Bolton and Crystal Palace are also said to have been keen.

Links with Peterborough striker Lee Tomlin seem unlikely with Posh reported to have turned down a Celtic bid of £2.5 million in the summer.

The Blues, Wolves, Leeds, Charlton and Bournemouth are all claimed to be watching developments regarding 25-year-old Tomlin, who was sent off for the third time this season at the weekend.

Photo: Action Images

bedsitfc added 06:08 - Jan 27 His hair is bonkers. Not sure about Tomlin seems to score a few but how many time does he let his team mates down by being sent off 3 so far this season.
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BlueMachines added 06:22 - Jan 27 Hunt can provide a bit of quality and spark going forward. Just what we need right now. In both his starts for the team he has been the MotM IMO. Long may he continue to be bonkers in a Town shirt!
12

essexboy added 07:26 - Jan 27 start the same team at Leeds tomorrow.They must be buzzing after the win on Saturday.COYB.
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Jimmy86 added 07:53 - Jan 27 How about giving him an extended run in the team and bringing him off of he begins to tire. Certainly more pro active with him in the team and less pedestrian. Same as when taylor's in the team. Tomlin is a class striker but his discipline seems to be somewhat questionable
7

Fat_Boy_Tim added 07:53 - Jan 27 Maybe start with the same team that started the 2nd half! MM is slowly being proved right about Anderson, given his head as a winger he is starting to look the part.
4

Langdon_Blue added 09:30 - Jan 27 I was really impressed with him against Blackburn. I hope he gets a run in the team as he reads the game well.
3

theobald1985 added 09:52 - Jan 27 tomlin would be brilliant for us he is a real quality player
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irishtim added 10:00 - Jan 27 Have met Hunty. A funny & very nice bloke. Hopefully we see the best of him & make the playoffs.
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LiamCP123 added 15:04 - Jan 27 Hunt and ando should be played every game and get subbed off at the 60th-70th minute with taylor/edwards.
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wayway added 20:22 - Jan 27 What odds he will be back on the bench at Leeds. Our manager is so attacking. Not.
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Warkys_Tash added 22:36 - Jan 27 Play him more then, please Mick! He looked great against Blackburn & then once fit again has sat unused on the bench. He must start. Cant believe Tomlin is only 25, he would be a good signing but we can't afford him.
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blueboy1981 added 22:53 - Jan 27 ...... we'll tolerate him being bonkers, he was just the spark in the team we have been missing - guess we will now see if the formation, and attacking prowess against Reading was by circumstance, mistake or 'hopefully' by design.
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dude added 03:50 - Jan 28 I understood very little, he said. Of what he said, and then Skusey says something random and I say, I'm not getting anything Mick McCarthy has said at all in this interview.
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