Blues skipper Luke Chambers says there have been no talks about his future, with his contract up at the end of the season, but is in no doubt he wants to be a member of what's likely to be a much-changed Town squad under new boss Paul Cook next season.

Asked whether he wants to be part of Cook’s plans for the Blues’ future, the 35-year-old said: “Absolutely I do, yes. My ambition for the football club to be successful and be where they need to be has not changed.

“I’ve played virtually every game this season again, but we’ll just see what happens. I’m just trying to do my bit for the team and try and play as well as I can and I’m enjoying being back at centre-half.”

Has there been any hint about his future? “No, we’re not even talking about it. I don’t think anyone really is talking about it at the minute.

“At the end of the day, we’ve had two years of mediocrity at the football club so what can you say? You have to try and take your opportunities when they come and I think the lads tried to do that against Bristol Rovers and we’ll just keep focusing on every game as it comes. Yes, it’s uneasy for some players to go through but you have to handle that.”

Chambers admits that it would hurt if he left the club without having helped the Blues back into the Championship.

“Yes, absolutely and it’s never going be an easy conversation to have,” he said.

“But I’m fully behind what the gaffer’s trying to do, what the football club’s trying to do and I just think that as soon as we get everyone back in this place and see what the gaffer wants to do and if he’s allowed to do it, that’s something I really want to be a part of.”

Chambers, who has been at Town since joining on a free transfer from Nottingham Forest under Paul Jewell in the summer of 2012, says there are players worrying about their futures with 26 members of the squad out of contract come the end of the campaign.

“I think they definitely do, why maybe it’s gone this long,” he said. “It’s not the first time it’s happened at the football club, players have always found themselves in tricky situations with contracts. But if that’s the way it is, that’s the way it is. You have to handle it.

“It’s been a tough year for everyone. The football environment has changed massively. The landscape for players coming out of contract is not what you want to have but we find ourselves where we are and we just have to handle it game by game.

“We’ve got nine games to go and we’ll be looking to crack on on Monday and be really positive and try and take the game to Rochdale.”

Asked what manager Cook has tried to change since he took charge at the start of last month, Chambers said: “He’s just tried to free the lads’ mindset really and just try and believe in themselves a little bit more, take people on, get crosses in, have shots.

“Just try and be more effective, more productive, if you have to play in to the strikers early [do so], he played two up front against Bristol Rovers and we started the game brilliantly.

“As long as that quality’s in to the front we can play off that. We’ve got willing runners from midfield, we’ve got players that can cause damage, Teddy Bishop’s had one of is best games for a while, especially in the first half, he had the freedom to take people on and he’s a tremendous footballer. If we can get him in the right positions on the football pitch, he’ll make things happen for us.”

He says he and Cook have spoken extensively over the last few weeks.

“We’ve had loads of chats so far, he’s been great with me, another manager I’ve played under and I just want to keep repaying the faith that he’s showing in me," he said.

“He’s been brilliant from day one, we’ve had chats and he just tries to let me manage the group as much as possible and that’s great when you’ve got that trust from the manager.”
"

Photo: Matchday Images

Ipswich Town Polls