Blues midfielder Teddy Bishop is delighted to be playing again regularly and hopes he is over his injury problems, having started back-to-back games for the first time since October and November 2016 during the last week.

Having enjoyed a brilliant breakthrough season in 2014/15 as an 18-year-old, Bishop, now 22, endured three frustrating campaigns due to injuries.

But he has trained throughout Paul Lambert’s time as Blues boss and has been looking more and more his old self in recent matches and played 92 minutes of Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Stoke before being replaced in injury time, having only ever played one full game - at home to Blackpool in April 2015 - for the Town first team.

“I’m just so pleased to be back out there playing,” Bishop said. “It has been a long time since I have played back to back games and I feel good, so I just want to keep on playing and being out there.

“It was a milestone for me to play almost 90 minutes. I knew it was going to come and I just have to keep working hard and training. I have trained every day.

“I just wanted to get the ball and drive forward, which is what I did. To do that you need confidence and the more you play, the more confidence you have to do that.

“It has been a tough few years for me but I have broken the back of it now and hopefully I can continue to play games, and start winning games too.”

Bishop’s return to fitness has seen the Blues reward him with a new deal which runs to 2021 plus an option for a further season.

“The new contract is big for me,” the Cambridge-born midfielder continued. “It gives me that security and I’m grateful for the club.

“It was difficult when I was out of the team but now I can just look forward and help the team.”

Reflecting on Saturday’s draw in which Will Keane equalised for the Blues moments after Bishop had been subbed, he added: “We kept playing right to the end. The manager had said their goal had come against the run of play so we should just keep playing for the full 90 minutes and the chances would come.

“The diamond suits me. It's tough work but when we have the ball we benefit from it.”

Asked whether relegation to League One for the bottom-of-the-table Blues is now an inevitability, Bishop said: “We have to win games but we know that. Everyone wrote us off this week yet we have had two draws, two good performances and two good points, so we can do things.

“It is a tough task everyone knows that and we have to win games and we can do that. We will keep fighting, that’s all we can do.

“We are not looking to next season. We are focusing on this season. The backroom staff might have different ideas but all the players and staff are just looking at getting out of this mess.”

He continued: “We all still believe. The manager still believes so I don't see why we can't do it.

“It is now nine points and a good couple of weeks and you never know.

"We have a good captain who keeps everyone together. We have a good bunch of lads and no one has let their heads go down. We have fought for each other.”

Stoke full-back Tom Edwards was gutted that he and his team-mates surrendered the lead away so late in the game.

“We played very well for 90 minutes so to concede in the last minute was hard to take. It was quite upsetting,” he said.

“We created a lot of chances. Tom Ince in particular created good chances with his crosses and Sam Vokes too had chances. I’m sure Sam will get his first goal soon.

“We need to take those chances and stop conceding. We know we have the players to score it is just a case of being clinical and make sure we put them to bed.

“Our main thing at the moment is to keep clean sheets, so to concede so late on was disappointing. We know if we don’t score but keep clean sheets we will pick up points.”

Photo: TWTD

WaltonBlueNaze added 06:38 - Feb 18 Teddy was superb on Saturday, driving forward at pace with the ball he offers something different. Our midfield for our promotion push looks full of youth, energy and skill - Downes, Bishop, Dozzell, Lankester, Edwards and Nydam. However, we need to go all out and sign Judge! COYB....
7

PositivelyPortman added 07:24 - Feb 18 “Playing regularly” he says. 2 games is a start I suppose! Let's hope he can now be a permanent fixture in the team.
2

rfretwell added 07:46 - Feb 18 Please Teddy dont pick up an ACL.
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Saxonblue74 added 07:49 - Feb 18 Good to have you back Teddy. Never has the future looked so bright for a team bottom of the league!
5

midastouch added 09:37 - Feb 18 There have been a few false dawns for Teddy since his breakthrough Play-Off season and that had made me lose the faith a bit but I have to say the signs do look much more encouraging again this time. Maybe we'll get to see Teddy fulfil his potential after all. Perhaps Lambert could be the manager to get Teddy firing on all cylinders again. Let's hope so as Teddy at his best in League One, or even in the Championship, would make us a much stronger attacking force than we are without him.

2

beornioblue added 10:20 - Feb 18 Good on you Teddy were all so happy you seem to have finally turned the corner and are showing the football prowess we ALL knew you had. Up A Towen
2

Razor added 10:21 - Feb 18 This fellah if he stays fully fit could run Div 1 next year if the worst case scenario happens. He is one of the very few players inn our team who can with the ball at pace and going forwards so he could be the secret weapon next season, whichever league we are in. We need to convince Judge he can still do it and there were glimpses from Edwards on Saturday when he came on-----is the worm turning?

1

trncbluearmy added 10:27 - Feb 18 Great to have him back, class player and if he stays fit vital to our future. With him and Judge in the team there is now shape to the way we play at last. Cut out the silly defensive mistakes which have haunted us all season, get a regular goalscorer(maybe Keane, could be a DM type player confident and on a run, unstoppable) This going to be a decent team no matter what league ITFC are in. Feeling confident about the future at last not there yet but there is light and hope.

0

OwainG1992 added 11:48 - Feb 18 Just think about it guys. In league one with players like Teddy, Jon Nolan, Flynn Downes, Andre Dozzell, Emyr Huws If he gets fit and let's hope Alan Judge! Tremendous midfield options for us.
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blueherts added 11:50 - Feb 18 Has always been our most gifted player and when he has played just runs at players something we have not had from one of our own for many years ! He must have had some really tough times over past few years so not only physically but mentally this is huge for him and us and so pleased to see Now if we can keep Judge ? and Lankaster , Downes , Nydam , Morris , Dozzell , Noland , Edwards pl, Ward plus If Huws can get and stay fit ? we have alot of strong midfielders in there for Div One

1

jonnysuave added 12:38 - Feb 18 Maybe let's not talk him up too much. They'll undoubtedly all be trying to sign him up. I wonder if loyalty through a long injury will count in his mind come the inevitable distraction of Villa and the like coming in for him.
3

TimmyH added 14:10 - Feb 18 1 or 2 reports in the papers (tabloids for what they re worth) that scouts from Arsenal and Man Utd are still watching him...if true that will keep our Mr Evans happy - sadly!
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blueboy1981 added 15:11 - Feb 18 Keep up the good work Bish' - and out of that Treatment Room.
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runningout added 16:57 - Feb 18 if we are in league 1 next season, we'll need to improve and hopefully have no treatment room frequenters. On paper we look half decent, but that means nothing as we have found!!
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Linkboy13 added 16:58 - Feb 18 Let's get real chaps we've been down this road before with loan signings eg Lawrence Frazier etc we've got no chance of signing judge Pennington or Bree if anything Evans will be cash strapping even more next season i think we'll see a very young side possibly we might get Will keane unless he starts banging in hatricks then Hull will want him back sorry but it's just reality.

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brian_a_mul added 18:49 - Feb 18 Judge is our player for now, with option of another year, i think thats already sorted
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Edmundo added 19:17 - Feb 18 Another bright spark in an otherwise dark season for Town. However, there's always one team who go on a run around this time of year, whilst another falls like a stone: please could the former be Town and the latter any of Reading, Millwall, Wigan, or of course, Norwich.
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finidi added 19:41 - Feb 18 Could be our Stevie Gerrard! he used to drive into the box. He needs to show what he can do now at 22 years of age, don,t mix with wrong sort keep his head together see where it takes him. i said this about Andre and I will repeat needs two good seasons with Ipswich he owes it to the club and the fans and more impotrtantly to himself.
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Pecker added 20:09 - Feb 19 Make the most of him. Now you see him, now you don't.
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