HIGHLIGHTS
Ipswich Town have made shrewd recruitment decisions since their promotion to the Championship, with potential to compete among the best.
Their summer recruits, including Jack Taylor and George Hirst, have already made a significant impact on the first team.
Academy players, such as Jordan Rhodes, Matt Clarke, Flynn Downes, and Nick Pope, who were let go by Ipswich, have gone on to have successful careers.
Ipswich Town have recruited wisely since winning promotion to the Championship last season.
Kieran McKenna’s side scored 100 goals last season on their way to second place in League One. Back in the Championship, they have the potential to compete with some of the best teams in the country.
During the summer, only six players were signed, but most have made a significant impact for the first team. The Tractorboys spent more than £3 million on Jack Taylor and George Hirst, while also adding goalkeeper Cieran Slicker for an undisclosed fee.
This was added to thanks to the loan acquisitions of Brandon Williams, Dane Scarlett, and Omari Hutchinson from a trio of top sides in Premier League.
However, recruitment is deemed less important when academy players get their chance in the first team, so we have put together a list of four of Town’s ex-academy players that should not have been let go.
Jordan Rhodes
Jordan Rhodes joined Ipswich’s academy at the age of 15 in 2005. He left East Anglia four years later on loan and made just a handful of appearances at Portman Road.
The club that retained the Scot’s services in 2009 was Huddersfield Town of Yorkshire. He was loved by the Terriers faithful during his three years there due to his exceptional strike rate. In total, he scored 86 goals in nearly 150 appearances. A similarly successful spell at Blackburn Rovers saw Rhodes become a Championship master, as he scored a further 84 goals over the next three and a half years.
He is certainly someone Ipswich will regret conceding once his EFL career begins.
Matt Clarke
Another former member of the Tractorboys’ academy is Middlesbrough’s Matt Clarke. He has not quite shared the same success as Rhodes, but Clarke has still managed to establish himself as a solid option.
From Ipswich, the central defender joined Portsmouth, before spells at Derby County and Brighton beckoned. He impressed during a subsequent loan move to West Bromwich Albion, and is now on the books in Teesside.
Clarke is a seasoned professional who could have shone in Suffolk if given the chance.
Flynn Downes
Flynn Downes joined Ipswich at the age of seven, and unlike his predecessors in this list, played a plethora of games for the first team.
After almost 100 senior showings, the talented midfielder was snapped up by Swansea City. Another move up the ladder followed as top-flight side West Ham United secured Downes’ services, and have since loaned him to Southampton.
He will make his return to Portman Road on April Fools’ Day, and show the Ipswich fanbase the player that he has become.
Nick Pope
Our final entry to this list is the best of the bunch. Nick Pope currently plies his trade in Newcastle, and is frequently included in Gareth Southgate’s England squads.
The goalkeeper supported Ipswich as a child, and played for their academy. Release at the age of 16 did not stifle Pope’s career. He spent three years at Bury Town and then five at Charlton Athletic, where he was noticed by Burnley and kicked on his career further.
Nowadays, the 31-year-old plies his trade at St James’ Park, and will be playing Champions League football this term.
