Ipswich Town youngster Corrie Ndaba has been offered a professional contract with the club, we understand.

East Anglian Daily Times: Corrie Ndaba has been offered a professional contract. Picture: ROSS HALLSCorrie Ndaba has been offered a professional contract. Picture: ROSS HALLS (Image: Archant)

The Irish central defender is currently in the third year of his scholarship with the Blues but is now understood to have been offered professional terms.

Ndaba, 19, arrived from Dublin side Cherry Orchard in 2016 as a central midfielder but has since been converted into a central defender and has made rapid strides during the course of this season.

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He has become a regular in the Blues’ Under 23 side, which he has captained on occasions, and is a solid defender who has pace, power and a good positional sense.

Ndaba was name-checked by first-team manager Paul Lambert on Saturday, when the Blues boss discussing the central defenders at his disposal in the absence of both James Collins and captain Luke Chambers.

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The defender was part of the same scholarship intake as Jack Lankester, who earned a professional deal in the summer and has since broken into the first-team.

Left-back Bailey Clements and creative midfielder Idris El Mizouni have also signed professional contracts during the course of this season, while youngstersHarry Wright and Ben Morris have also penned new deals.