Kayden Jackson says it was a 'surreal' feeling making his 150th appearance for Ipswich Town.

The 28-year-old forward, now in his fifth season at the club, hit that milestone when coming on in last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Oxford United.

He's come a long way since the 'Samsung Win a Pro Contract' initiative saw him swap non-league club Albion Sports for Swindon Town back in 2013.

Spells at Tamworth, Wrexham, Barnsley, Grimsby and Accrington followed before Paul Hirst paid out £1.6m to make him Ipswich's new No.9 in 2018.

"It's a bit surreal to hear that I've played 150 games for the club," said Jackson, in an interview for the club programme.

"I'm one of the fortunate ones that has come up through non-leaue. If, when I was 14, 15 playing Sunday league football with my friends, somebody had told me I'd be a professional footballer in 10 years' time, I would probably have laughed at them.

"As a lad growing up in Bradford on a council estate, I didn't think I'd get one appearance in the Football League. That's the truth.

"None of my friends ever made it. Nobody from the area has ever made it professionally. It's not something that happens to many lads from in and around Bradford, especially in the place where I was born, so it's definitely a bit of a pinch me moment.

"It's something that I'll never take for granted. The way I've had to come from where I have to where I have, and how hard I've had to work to get to where I am, it's something I'll always be proud of.

"I want to build on that. I want to be successful. Whether I'll make another 50, another 100, another 200 appearances, I hope that whatever comes next is successful.

"Hopefully we can go on to do better things than we have done in the previous 150 appearances. 

"I'm thankful to be where I am today, but hopefully there's still a bit more to come."

East Anglian Daily Times: Kayden Jackson has scored 24 goals for Ipswich Town.Kayden Jackson has scored 24 goals for Ipswich Town.

Nearly a third of Jackson's appearaces for Ipswich (43) have come under current manager Kieran McKenna.

"I'm forever grateful to him for giving me the opportunity and the platform to go out there and express myself and do what I do best," said Jackson, who has scored 24 goals in 85 starts and 66 sub appearances for Town. 

"He's always been honest with me, ever since the first day. I'd like to think he can rely on me and he knows what I'll give him when I go out there.

"I've always kept going in my career, even when opportunities haven't come at the first time of asking, and I have the same attitude in individual games.

"The manager's helped instil that in me as well.

"As a striker, you don't have to get in on every single ball, you don't have to have to get picked out on every single run, the final pass doesn't have to be perfect every single time.

"But it's that one time when you do get into a great position and you do get that pass that you need to make the most of it.

"This year he's helped me with showing that persistence."