Barnsley boss Lee Johnson says Paul Digby’s loan move to the Blues will benefit all parties. The versatile 20-year-old joined Town until the end of the season last weekend.

"I think he's got a big name in youth football,” Johnson told the Barnsley Chronicle.

“Ipswich asked for him to come in for a couple of days on trial and behind the scenes they set up a deal potentially, but at the moment it's a loan for them to have a look at him.

"I don't think he's under any pressure at the moment to go into their first team but it's one that suits all parties at the moment.”

Sheffield-born Digby, who has been given the number 37 shirt and could be involved in Saturday’s FA Cup tie at home to Portsmouth, made his debut for the Tykes aged only 16 but has subsequently been unable to establish himself in the first team at Oakwell.

He has made only three Barnsley appearances this season, two sub appearances in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy and one League One start. Overall, Digby has made 11 starts and 14 sub appearances.

He has played most of his football in the centre of midfield and has also operated at right-back but Town boss Mick McCarthy has said he views him as a centre-half.

Former England U19 and U20 international Digby is contracted to the Tykes until June 2017.

Photo: ITFC

Photo: Action Images

blueblood66 added 09:48 - Jan 8 We can trust Mick and Terry to make a player of him if there is one in there.
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Kesgraveblue57 added 10:22 - Jan 8 So couldn't establish himself in the Barnsley team why ? Was it he just not good enough ? Does this record of his show he good enough to play for us ?
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Gilesy added 10:27 - Jan 8 Maybe he just doesn't fit into the Barnsley way - I suspect Counago wouldn't get a place in a McCarthy team; does it mean he wasn't any good?
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BlueNomad added 10:28 - Jan 8 Kesgrave - if he didn't have something about him he wouldn't have got this far. Maybe Barnsley need experience at the moment. I expect there were some Palace fans who felt the same when they signed a 23 year old Ian Wright from Dulwich Hamlet..........................................
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Lathers added 10:32 - Jan 8 It's all well and good bringing in Digby, Yowerth etc to see if we can unearth a gem, but realistically these type of deals more often than not don't work out. Surely we should be putting our efforts in to signing proven players and pushing for the Prem. Bringing in Digby type players is just planning ahead for another season in the Championship. I see Brighton have just signed Knockaert from Leicester......

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JustSpivvyChops added 11:10 - Jan 8 Johnson says Digby isn't under any pressure to play first team football for us, yet McCarthy says he is views him as a first team player immediately and not a development player.......that clears that up then.
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BlueNomad added 11:13 - Jan 8 Lathers - If we go up we have a choice, keep him, release him or sell him on to a club lower down the league. Better to chance a few grand on a prospect that doesn't work out than to spend on someone "proven." If you have supported this club over the past seven years you will know better than fans of most clubs what you can get when you spend loads of money!
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meekreech added 11:33 - Jan 8 Better to bring in young players to develop into a tight team unit with the chance of surviving at a higher level . With the right coaching and training a well unified group can achieve as much as a more talented but less unified team . With our management team , our academy and owner support we , as a club , are moving in the right direction and the rewards will follow .

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MathieandMarshall added 12:12 - Jan 8 Agree Meekreech. We should know better than most the impact a tight unit of unknowns who battle for each other. George Burleys team had no big names baring maybe Richard Wright who was on the verge of England call ups. We all know what that team achieved the first season in the Prem. If anything, adding the big money signings in that second season was when it started to fall apart.

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BlueandTruesince82 added 13:25 - Jan 8 Like proven Jason Scotland? Proven Lee Bowyer? Proven Tamas Priskin? Proven Michael Chopra Or some bigger non Ipswich examples, proven Andre Shevchenko? Proven Fernando Torres? Proven Seb Veronica. How clubs perform from one club to another can vary wildly, football is a team game, not 11 individuals, it is about the team and how they play with and for each other. It's not always about picking the best players. As Sir Alf said to Jack Charlton when he expressed suprise at making the 66 world cup squad, "I may not always pick the best players but I always pick the best team." That sums up Micks approach very nicely for me and if it's good enough for Sir Alf it's good enough for me. I'll rest my case on England's 1 and only major trophy. Equally let's not forget some of our best (and more creative) players have been injured which forces Nick's hand in terms of selection and tactics, MCG, Fraser, Bish and Bru if you take the crate mainstays out of any team it will impact upon performance and style.

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