Blues boss Kieran McKenna says keeper Christian Walton, who signed a new deal earlier in the week, has been really important with the 30-year-old one of only two senior players remaining from the squad he inherited when he took over as manager in December 2021.

Walton, who was brought in from Brighton by his one-time Wigan Athletic boss Paul Cook in the summer of 2021, initially on loan, has penned terms which will keep him at Portman Road until the end of June 2028.

The Wadebridge-born glovesman was the man between the sticks in the League One promotion season but less involved in the similarly successful Championship campaign which followed, before making seven Premier League appearances last season before injury sidelined him.

Having started this season on the bench, Walton came into the team following Alex Palmer’s calf injury in October and has kept nine clean sheets in 18 Championship starts since then.

“He’s been really important, I think,” McKenna said. “If I’m right, it’s only him and Wes [Burns] now in the building who are here [from when I took over].

“I think to do five seasons at a club that’s been through what this club’s been through, he’s played in every step for us.

“Of course, you’ve had a big role to play and people think a lot of you to keep you on that journey and it’s taken a lot of professionalism, hard work, dedication, and patience sometimes, and loyalty sometimes for him to stay on that. 
 
“But everyone’s happy that since he’s come into the team now, he’s done well and had a good run of games and helped the team, and he wants to be here for the foreseeable future.

“So that’s a positive and I think that unit’s really strong at the moment. Alex is back and training great. David Button’s been really, really good since he came in, so we feel really strong in that department.”

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