Kevin Bru says he and his Town colleagues are confident of maintaining their challenge for a play-off place during the second half of the season.

Boss Mick McCarthy and his players will reach the campaign’s half-way point on Saturday when they face the daunting task of taking on Championship leaders Wolves at Molineux, where McCarthy’s former club have accumulated 26 points from a possible 33 so far.

Bru said: “So far it is a good season for us and in the last few games we have done a good job and taken some points. Hopefully it will continue at Wolves on Saturday. At the moment we feel confident.

"We know we have good players and there is the usual feeling of togetherness within the squad, so there is a similarity with what happened three years ago when we reached the play-offs. It would be great if we could do it again.”

Bru is back in McCarthy’s plans as no fewer than eight midfielders battle injury in what is the busiest spell of the season with eighth-placed Town, beaten just twice in their last eight games and within two points of sixth-placed Sheffield United, facing five league and cup games in the next 14 days.

Bru added: “When I played in France we had two weeks’ holidays over Christmas and the New Year so it is very different here. But football is our job and we are all happy to play.

"The busy spells starts with a visit to Wolves and that is the type of game that we all want to play in. When you are a player you want to play in every game and it will be good for me to play as many times as possible.

“Will I move in next month’s transfer window? I really don’t know. I’m still here so we’ll just have to wait and see if anything happens. Ipswich is a good club and while I’m here I want to play as many games as I can.

“The only reason I wanted to leave was so I could play more regularly than I was playing here. It would have suited me to go to France and be nearer family because I have a young son now, but I am still happy here.

"Maybe I will stay in England if I don’t go back to France but at this moment in time I can’t say what is going to happen.”

Bru said he had no problem motivating himself after a move to Ligue 1 outfit Toulouse broke down at the very last minute on the last day of the summer transfer window. “That’s life,” he added. "Sometimes things happen like that and you have to do other things. I’m not at Toulouse, I’m still with Ipswich and I’m working hard to get games.

“I’ve always had a good relationship with the manager. My job is to come into the training ground every morning and do the very best I can. I am doing it for myself and then, if the gaffer needs me, I will give my best for the team.

"I’m 29 so hopefully I still have a few years left as a player. I am just focusing on Ipswich and the game on Saturday, and we’ll see what happens next.

"At the start of the season I didn’t even have a squad number. Now I’m number 28 and I could start on Saturday. That’s football, I suppose.”

There remains the possibility of Bru departing in next month’s transfer window. He explained: “My agent has had some discussions with people in France but the transfer window is not open yet. I am here and focused on Saturday’s game at Wolves.

"You will have to ask the gaffer if he is thinking of keeping me for the next six months or not. I can’t answer for him.”

Whether next month or at the end of the season when his contract expires, Bru believes he will move on a better player than when he joined in July 2014. He said: “I’m a different player after my time in England with Ipswich. I think I have learned a lot about the tactical side of the game from TC and the gaffer.

“Before I came here I was a player who ran everywhere but I have matured a lot in my time here and have gained some valuable experience. If I play on Saturday it will be my 100th appearance for Ipswich and it has been a good time for me.

“Wolves away from home is going to be a tough game but it is also one to relish. They are a very good team and they have bought some very good players. It will be hard for us but hopefully we can get something there.”

Meanwhile, Bru is honoured to be captain of Mauritius. “I am very proud to play for Mauritius and be captain,” he added. “My brother was also captain before but he has stopped playing now.

"We don’t have a lot of players who are playing in Europe — I am the only one — but I am trying to help the young players in the squad.

“It is a different role to what I have here in Ipswich. My brother is working there, trying to change things to make us a better team, introducing the formation to the younger players that we have in France and maybe we can go on to have a good team, but it will be a few years from now before that happens.”

Photo: TWTD

Seasider added 19:01 - Dec 21 It would be nice for Kevin to reach his century of games for Ipswich. Re transfer,seems a similar situation to Christophe Berra,as both of them wanted to be nearer family. Family is the most important;but obviously one has to make money to support them !
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brendanh added 12:04 - Dec 22 We average two points per game with Bru in the team this season. That's automatic promotion form. Deserves more pitch time.
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