Paul Digby’s successful full Championship debut at Middlesbrough has whetted his appetite for more, with the young centre-back now eyeing up a permanent stay at Ipswich Town.

The Barnsley loanee started in the middle of the Town defence alongside Tommy Smith at the Riverside, with the duo having to repel wave after wave of home pressure before ultimately helping the Blues secure a 0-0 draw at the promotion chasers.

Digby has already spoken to McCarthy regarding a permanent deal, with the Ipswich manager admitting recently that he was keen to secure the 21-year-old full-time, with the youngster believing he’s improved his all-round game under the Blues boss.

“He (McCarthy) has been a different class, he was a centre-half himself so he’s been teaching me every day and raising my standards,” he said.

“There’s not one thing I can put my finger on, they’ve just improved me all over from my aggressiveness to improving as a defender.

“He’s taught me all the tricks of the trade and I’m just loving my time here.

“I’d be delighted to move here permanently, but we’ll just see what happens in the summer because right now I’m focusing on the last few games of the season and helping the team get more points on the board.

“He (McCarthy) has spoken to me and he wants to make it happen in the summer so we’ll just see what happens then.

“I would be delighted to start the next two games too and, if I can, I’ll just do my best for the team.”

Having played most of his football as a midfielder at Barnsley, McCarthy sees Digby more as a central defender and has been impressed with how the youngster has adapted to his new role.

“I didn’t have any doubts in terms of how he’d go about his attitude towards his business,” McCarthy said after Saturday’s game.

“But he’s been very much a midfield player and had only done bits and pieces at centre-half. I just saw things in him (as a defender) and there are still things I’d have to show him, he got bumped a few times and missed headers.

“But for a kid stepping in, and he wasn’t stepping in against any mugs, it was a proper team, I was delighted with him. I thought it was a good full debut for him.

“He did (the scruffy things well) but he’s got more than that, but it was a day to do that well.

“It wasn’t a day to be messing about at the back and him to be trying to play out from the back.

“He did what he needed to do. He had a great block in the first half and I’m really pleased with him.”