Midfielder Andre Dozzell turns 17 today and has signed his two-year professional contract with the Blues.

The first-year scholar formally put pen to paper on the deal last week after tying up the loose ends of a contract which was agreed in principle when he signed his two-year academy scholarship in 2013.

Players cannot sign professional contracts until they are 17 and then only for a maximum of two years.

Dozzell, who has been watched by Premier League sides including Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and West Ham, recently scored on his senior debut having come on as a sub at Sheffield Wednesday and then made his full debut at home to Fulham a few days later.

Speaking last week, the former Copleston High School pupil said his target for next season is to play regularly: "The aim for me now [is] to be in and around the first-team squad but I know I’ve got to work hard in pre-season.

“I’ll keep working hard and hopefully I can cement a place in the first-team squad next season.”

His father, former Blues midfielder and current academy coach Jason, recently told TWTD that there's nowhere better for his son to be at this stage of his career.

birthday boy , happy to sign my first pro deal with @official_itfc https://t.co/Sg5KyxsPMI– andre (@andredozzell99) May 2, 2016

“Ipswich is the best place for him," he said. "The manager likes him. His pathway at the moment is Ipswich Town.

“If he goes to a big club his pathway would be blocked, there will be a lot more players, a lot more better players, I would imagine.

“I’m happy with the way he’s progressing, I’m happy with how they’re looking after him as a parent and that’s all you can ask for really.”

Andre is currently away with the England U17s squad ahead of the European Championships in Azerbaijan.

They play their first game against Sweden on Friday, then face France three days later, before they complete their group fixtures with a match against Denmark on Thursday 12th May.

Town striker Ben Morris has also been called in to the squad, while keeper Nick Hayes and schoolboy midfielder Tristan Nydam remain on standby for the tournament.

Photos: Action Images/ITFC

Photo: Action Images

runaround added 13:21 - May 2 Good luck Andre. Your dad played over 400 times for ITFC so would be great if you did too. Although, if you fulfill your potential, I guess you will move onto a big club in a few years. I just we get to see you at your best before that happens
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Michael11 added 13:52 - May 2 Lovely jubbly. Hopefully he can develop alongside Bishop, Emmanuel, Kenlock etc and become first team regulars in the near future. Glad he has a Dad like Jason to keep him grounded and giving him good advice.
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bohslegend added 14:45 - May 2 Great news. Also stops some of the "club lacks ambition" stuff going round. This is an investment in youth and proof positive (similar to keeping Didzy and Murph when all the queries were coming in) that the club is ambitious and trying hard to operate in a financially responsible yet confident way with the talent within the squad in order to move upwards. Unfortunately next season looks like being even more difficult for clubs like ours when Villa, Nodge and either Newcastle or Sund'lund drop down with their parachute payments and Prem players, as well as Wigan coming back up.

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jonbull88 added 17:42 - May 2 Brilliant news! Hopefully the first of many good news stories coming out this summer.
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cornishblu added 21:29 - May 2 Essex57......hahahahaha ...I worded my comment knowing that you would not understand it and once again you haven't let me down,......thank you for the laugh....cumulatively means collectively ...if we only lost 200 per game ...and it way more than that over a course of a home season that would be 4600... Our last home game prior to the play offs last year saw us with an attendance of over 25000 compared to this year that game alone lost us over 5000...Thus thousands ....we have lost far more away fans as the season has petered out ......please educate yourself before writing your stupid comments .. .....only downside of the summer break is me missing your ridiculous uneducated comments ....see you at Derby Mr Loyal fan?? ...COYB

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Bert added 23:49 - May 2 Have I missed something ? Is TWTD now a site for a dozen or so 'fans' to take lumps out of each other; is that their sole intention over and above giving an opinion about the club they allegedly support? We may have had a difficult and largely boring season but please let this site stick to opinions about football and our club in a balanced and objective way.
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essex57 added 10:41 - May 3 Bert I agree unfortunately some posters like Cornishblue are rather obnoxious in their comments to other supporters so have to be told.
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essex57 added 10:45 - May 3 Cornishblue some of your posts are rather condescending surely the best way to compare attendance is by average rather than hypothetical method to justify your argument.
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cornishblu added 16:26 - May 3 .....am going fishing ....no need caught myself a tiddler ..I,ll throw it back but every time I cast off it gets caught again . Condescending ...or just reacting to your biased views that take into account no one else's opinion and still resonate a great deal of satisfaction with the drivel we have been served up this season .....you will never win me over until you rid your posts of those two things . ....when you have worked out the average attendance repost your views and then let's see how this season compares to others ...the hint is if we are cumulatively down we will also be averagely down...ill explain that one so you aren't embarrassed when you do your calculations ...see you at Derby COYB

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essex57 added 19:15 - May 3 Cornish blue this years average attendance 18986 Last years 19603 i am reliably informed that last years average was slightly higher because of A the local Derby and B some popular fixtures from last year were on a tuesday night this year which normaly attract smaller attendances. Once again we all like to air our own views theres no need to be rude.
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Marcus added 07:16 - May 4 I met Andre in Legends while chatting with his father. He was a typical short answer teen but it was clear he was determined to be a success, even if he's at a taciturn stage of lifer - then again that's typical for sportsmen and for youth team players I've worked with (change the environment, remove the father and make the topic football and all that changes. Also I note Jason now has a matching hairstyle to myself - such is effect of time.

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MarcusITFC23 added 17:46 - May 4 Terrific news and has a great future ahead of him !
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