Town boss Mick McCarthy says new signing Grant Ward has looked an even better player in training than he thought he was before he signed him from Tottenham on Monday.

“I like him even more having watched him in training for the week,” McCarthy enthused. “He’s impressed me, he’s impressed everybody with his energy, his ability.

“He certainly did well at Rotherham last year and stood out in a team which was struggling for a big part of it.

“And I’ve not heard anybody give him a bad word. Neil Warnock was glowing in his praise for him and I guess Neil would be a bit like me, he’d not be too glowing if he didn’t have to be.

“We’d seen him, but you need to get a good feel for somebody and, like I said, he’s impressed everybody. He’ll be a good signing for us.”

Ward, who signed a three-year deal with an option for a further season, missed three weeks of pre-season due to injury and McCarthy says he’s a little behind the rest of the squad: “He had 50 minutes [for Tottenham’s reserves]. He’s not has as many games as our lads have had, he’s just walked in the building.

"We’ll see for Saturday, but he looks keen and eager to play, that’s for sure.”

The 21-year-old can play a variety of positions and McCarthy says his versatility could be useful during the season ahead.

“I’m not going to pigeon hole him, why should I?” the Town boss continued. “Let’s see [what his best role is]. He’s played wide on the right, I’ve brought him in as a wide player.

“When I spoke to him he said he could do right, centre or left, and I said, ‘Good, because you might have to’.

“That’s nice, versatility, we’ve got no emergency loans so to have players who can play in a number of positions is brilliant.”

Meanwhile, Alan Stubbs, the new manager of Rotherham, says his club matched Town’s offer for their former loanee Ward, which we understand to have been an initial £500,000 plus clauses taking the deal up to £600,000 and then £700,000.

“We offered the same as Ipswich paid,” Stubbs told the Sheffield Star. “Unfortunately, the player chose Ipswich, which I respect.

“That was another significant offer that we put in. We have to be realistic. If we’re in for a player, say, Newcastle are in for, we know we can’t compete.

“We are in among a group of teams where we have to offer them something different. What we can offer is that they’re going to be starting, and that’s not necessarily going to be the case at these bigger teams.”

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hoppy added 15:55 - Aug 4 Sounds promising. If I remember correctly, he said the same thing about Ryan Fraser being even better than he thought last year too, didn't he?
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BotesdaleBlue added 15:55 - Aug 4 This is all very good to hear. I have a good feeling about this lad and lets hope he gives us the boost and the entertainment that we desperately need this season. And the best bit is...he's ours, not another loanee.
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thebeat added 16:02 - Aug 4 Be careful. I remember Jewell saying the same thing about a certain Mr Chopra. That turned out well......
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Mullet added 16:03 - Aug 4 Typical of Mick's scouting. If he knew what he was doing he'd know just how good this lad was? Right?
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NoCanariesAllowed added 16:05 - Aug 4 Please let's not have everyone jumping on Mick's back if this kid doesn't start against Barnsley. He's either 100% fit and ready for the game or not, and that will likely be the deciding factor. Last thing I'd wanna see is us chucking him in too soon after an injury and losing him for weeks on end. Looking forward to seeing him in any case. Seems his signing lifted the mood a little bit in the last week.

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Lathers added 16:40 - Aug 4 Mick did say exactly the same thing when he signed Feeney on loan though! Also it is worrying that one minute he's giving it the big one about Cameron Stewart being right back in contention, knowing full well that he is waiting on a couple of deals to come in (Grant and Ward) before he then bins off Stewart. Does make you wonder when he says something if its just BS and it's pretty easy to see through. In saying that, glad he's finally realised that Coke, the Pole and Stewart aren't good enough and can move on. Still think we need another decent experienced defender and then we are Ok.

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notoriousITFC added 17:05 - Aug 4 'Grant Ward is about as good as I expected' wouldn't make for as good reading
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itfcserbia added 17:06 - Aug 4 I know a lot of people here won't have that respect for how McCarthy goes about his (transfer) business, but just comparing his deals to how say Roy Keane made his deals we are surely better of with MM.
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Special_A added 17:11 - Aug 4 I wonder if Ward is thinking - this lot are much worse than I thought (This is just a joke so chill out haters)
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terryf added 17:36 - Aug 4 I reckon he sees Grant Ward playing wide right and the other Grant left side midfield, which probably means that he's still got Kai Kai on his radar as an out and out left winger. That would fit in nicely for either a 3 or 4 in midfield. Just depends when Crystal Palace will be happy to let him come out on loan. What a difference a week makes to our outlook for the season. Nice to also see that all these new faces are only 20/21 years old. I had a feeling that despite his preseason that MM was never going to trust Stewart and as for Malarczyk and Coke well enough said!!!

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RaymondovicBlue added 18:06 - Aug 4 I know both Frazer and Feeny both played for aft Bournemouth like Pitman.... But it was Pitman who Mick said was even than he thought. But whilst he seems to be a good sub I'm not sure he's a regular and reliable match winner. Hope Pitman proves me wrong this year.. AND that both new signings also prove to be better than we all thought eh Milk?
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BlueandTruesince82 added 18:33 - Aug 4 The deals might not have Come off. You can't expect Mick to say Stewarts availble if he then might be forced to play him. Personally I think CS might have offered something this season but none theess you can't expect Mick to close a door on a player until someone else is thhough it, that really would be idiotic.
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Keaneish added 18:39 - Aug 4 I'm sure he is keen and eager to play but how are you going to play him is the question? In position to his potential or out of position to do a job for the 'system'...
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Warkys_Tash added 11:32 - Aug 5 Looking forward to seeing this lad but with no emergency loans the squad still requires strengthening before the end of the month, surely? I reckon Mick will get at least two more in the door. Regards Stewart, Mick did exactly the same thing with Paul Taylor, 'Slate clean', then out the door. Good riddance. Probs a £1.5m 3 year contract for doing absolutely nothing - nice work if you can get it. Let's hope someone like Rotherham comes in & takes him off our hands!

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