Midfield dynamo Ian Westlake has signed a new contract which will keep him at Portman Road until 2008. Westlake's current deal was up at the end of the season.

The former England waterpolo international told the club site: "It's been a brilliant couple of days really; beating Wigan last night to go top of the Championship and then signing a new contract the next day. Christmas couldn't be any better than this.

"I've been at this club since I was a kid and it's been great to progress on to the first team and now sign a new deal, and hopefully I will stay here as long as possible."

Westlake, now 21, made his debut for the Blues during Tony Mowbray's brief tenure as caretaker-manager in 2002/03, coming on as a sub in the 1-0 loss to Gillingham.

But it was the following season when he made a position in the side his own going on to win the club's player of the year award by some distance.

The Clacton-based player has now made 73 senior appearances, scoring 13 goals.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls