Central defender Dara O’Shea says he’s “fully committed to Ipswich at the moment” and wants to get the Blues back into the Premier League, the Republic of Ireland international having been linked with Wolves, Leeds United and a return to Burnley this summer.

The 26-year-old was one of Town’s top performers during 2024/25, picking up a Player of the Year award at the End-of-Season Dinner and finishing third for the supporters’ gong.

The Dubliner, who captained the Blues when Sam Morsy wasn’t in the XI, joined the club from the Clarets last summer following their relegation for an initial £12 million plus potentially a further £3 million in add-ons.

O’Shea is currently away with the Ireland squad, along with teammate Jack Taylor, and was asked about the reported interest from the Premier League trio.

“No, look, for me right now I’m still in season you know and I’m not going to think about it until the season ends and I’ve got one more game to focus on and then I can sit down and relax, but I’m fully committed to Ipswich at the moment.

“I want to get the club back into the Premier League and I’m ambitious as a player, obviously I want to be playing in the Premier League but I know it’s not as easy as that.

“Whatever happens in football it happens for a reason. You have a journey and you’ve got to stick to that sometimes.”

He added: “I feel like I’m well capable of playing in the Premier League and I’ve got to get myself back there now.

“I spoke to the gaffer at Ipswich and that’s the task he's set me - to carry on those standards of a Premier League player and still owe it to myself to be like that.

“It’s really hard when you come off the back of relegation but I’m happy with how I played. I’ve grown into a leader and I play better when I have that responsibility.”

Ireland face Luxembourg away from home in a friendly on Tuesday having drawn 1-1 with Senegal on Friday in Dublin.

“We understand the way the manager [Heimir Hallgrímsson] wants us to play and how he wants us to be as a nation,” he added. “That's the identity of us as Irish people too.

“Against Senegal, our reaction in the middle of the park, we lost the ball, we got around it. There were some big tackles, some big blocks. That’s something that we've kind of come away from as a nation, which we should never - that's our identity, we're hard working people.

“With every successful team, the fundamental is hard work. You watch PSG in the Champions League final, they’ve got all the talent in the world but they worked hard as well and that's what got them there. We’ve that embedded in us as Irish people, so we’ve got to show that on the pitch and not take the moments for granted.

“There’s obviously a mentality aspect of football and winning games and keeping that momentum going is massive. It’s something we haven't really had as a nation for a while now. It's something this group hasn't had at all really.

“So it’s important that we keep building and don’t take the games for granted because before we know it we’ll be in the World Cup campaign and right in the thick of it.

“You only get one chance to qualify, so it’s important that we make the most of every moment we can. The manager believes in us as a group and he believes in himself. That’s massive when you can feel the manager believes in you as a group.”

Photo: REUTERS/Chris Radburn

Gforce added 14:28 - Jun 9 Ashton said recently we will lose a couple,whether that's including Delap or a couple on top of Delap,it doesn't sound like we are intent on selling many.
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JewellintheTown added 14:38 - Jun 9 Some right drama queens on here. He says "fully committed to Ipswich at the moment" but clarifies with "I want to get the club back into the Premier League..." so along with discussing next season with KM, that's at least a season with us before he asses his options. He's every intention of being here next season and hopefully help us get back to the Prem. Some things really don't need explaining, but then again a bag of peanuts has to have warning labels about containing nuts. Plenty of those on here.

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muccletonjoe added 14:49 - Jun 9 What about tomorrow?
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LegendofthePhoenix added 14:52 - Jun 9 The fact is that other than Liam Delap, our players collectivley have not been good enough for teh Premier League. No player will want to think that they themself are not good enough, but who in reality wants to take players who have just suffered one, or even two successive, relegations? across the team, whether it is O'Shea, Omari, Szmodics, Greaves, Palmer, Tuanzebe, Davis etc .......these players weren't quite good enough last season, they need to double down and improve, and then not only get promoted but show at ITFC that they are good enough.

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dowsie3 added 15:00 - Jun 9 Can’t see any established premier league clubs coming in for him but Burnley Sunderland and Leeds could make a bid . Those 3 teams will be in the same market as us last year top end championship players or players from the 3 relegated teams
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ArnieM added 15:25 - Jun 9 There's no loyalty in this game anymore. Everyone connected directly with it is out yo get what they can make as quick as possible. And don't give me that ..." it's a short career, sh 1 t", they're ALL millionaires, so aren't hard up .... unlike I suggest, a fair few of this fan base. Contracts nean absolutely did all, yet there we ho donging players names from the terraces in complete adulation. They're probably taking the pi ss behind our backs, who knows. I feel particularly annoyed at what I feel is this sham loyalty. Well get it every season with the nabager until he does walk away. It wouldn't surprise me it we end up doing al.ost a complete rebuild this summer, as I can see a fair few looking to jump ship. It really p1sses me off.

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tractorboybig added 16:32 - Jun 9 arnie m why does it piss you off? there is no loyalty in football and this club will off load who they dont want, so who can blame players for jumping a sinking ship?
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terryf added 16:46 - Jun 9 You have a journey and sometimes you've got to stick to it, tells me he'll still be here next season. Lets hope his manager heeds his words!!
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warfarinman69 added 16:47 - Jun 9 I would love O'Shea to stay. We need continuity. But he's not irreplaceable. I am more concerned with the annual merry go round of speculation about McKenn's future. We need to sort that once and for all before transfer window re-opens. All business, in or out should be done in first 2 weeks.
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Tractamatt added 17:00 - Jun 9 Wonder if ‘at the moment’ is really ‘if McKenna stays’
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Linkboy13 added 17:04 - Jun 9 If all players were loyal to their clubs where would we get our players from it's alright when we are the buying club loyalty doesn't apply some people on here are very small minded.
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Steelmonkey added 17:20 - Jun 9 Does anyone know if he said that about Burnley this time last season? We shipped 88 goals home and away this last season, not a good defensive performance by any standards. Yes we had several injuries to contend with but can anyone really make that out to be a reasonable excuse for such a poor performance.
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Bazza8564 added 17:44 - Jun 9 Davo, not sure I agree. We bought mid range players with selling them if their contracts allowed it at inflated figures but the likes of Clarke, Jaden, Ogbone, Oshea, Greaves, Omari have all come here to form the backbone of a squad Mark knew would struggle last season but should bounce again if we didn't survive. Rather than selling the farm and gamble on a smaller number of star players we would lose anyway, he did the opposite and now has a great nucleus and money again to add even more, and forced down the average age to ensure he keeps it together for longer Other than Delap, we've not sold anyone out to a bigger club in the last 4 years, we've churned out players who have given great value but have been overtaken my the average quality, like Harness, Edmundson and like Al hamadi will probably do.Selling them out at the bottom end is vey different. edwards, Adhame all went to lower league sides beacuse theyd outlived their use. We might choose to cash in on Davis who, from a PSR point of view, would add great profit, but we a miles from a selling club. The talent pool continues to grow and Davis and Omari (If anybody pays his £35m release clause) would give us another war chest to invest. Im really not expecting us to sell any more of last years recruits at all, we certainly have no need to

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terryf added 18:24 - Jun 9 Sick parrot Yes O'Shea is a decent centre-half but if he decided to leave and I'm not convinced he will, Burgess and Woolfenden didn't do a bad job as central defenders in the Championship. I'm more worried about losing McKenna because alot depends upon him staying with us. Certainly if he departs he'll likely take one or two of our best players with him!
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Phil1969 added 18:30 - Jun 9 What do people expect he shipped out of Burnley rather than take Championship probably do that again, fair enough that’s what happens when you get relegated. We simply move on and buy in a replacement.
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bluesnightorg added 19:03 - Jun 9 Que sera, sera, We might say, “Ta-ra, Da-ra,” He might stay for-a-new-e-ra, Que sera, sera…
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Juggsy added 19:32 - Jun 9 I think he’s great and would love him to stay, but I wonder what’s the record for the most relegations from the prem with different teams?
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Linkboy13 added 20:20 - Jun 9 I think a chance of joining Wolves would be hard to turn down.
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Smoresy added 20:28 - Jun 9 That's a hilarious quote, love it!
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Gforce added 20:29 - Jun 9 He's under a long contract, we don't have to sell ,simples.
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DocMartyn added 21:09 - Jun 9 O'Shea at a party: "Have you met my current wife?" ;-)
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WhoisJimmyJuan added 21:49 - Jun 9 I think he will either stay with us or move to another club
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ChrisR added 08:57 - Jun 10 Any Club signing him should be made to take Muric at cost pricwe also .
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bobble added 10:39 - Jun 10 Burgess is better
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dirtydingusmagee added 11:30 - Jun 10 At the moment, sort of makes the statement pointless personally I hope he stays.
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