Ipswich Town defender Adam Webster is destined for the Premier League, according to Blues legend Kevin Beattie.

Webster, signed from Portsmouth in the summer of 2016, has battled injuries throughout his time at Portman Road but appears to have nailed down a starting place alongside captain Luke Chambers at the heart of the Blues’ defence.

Manager Mick McCarthy insisted Webster’s display in the 3-0 victory over Preston on November 4 was his best since he arrived at the club, with Beattie similarly impressed by a player he sees gracing the top flight in the not too distant future.

“The skipper has been doing well but Webster is a class player, he really is,” Beattie said.

“Adam Webster will be a Premier League player, without a doubt, you can just see it.

“He’s so comfortable on the ball, can make a decent pass and is good in the air. He gives me a feeling of satisfaction and if I was his manager I would be very happy with him because the boy’s doing his job.

“I think he’s terrific, a superb player, and the rest of them alongside him have been doing well too.”

Beattie has been impressed with the Blues’ attacking options so far this season, which has at times seen McCarthy start matches with four strikers on the field, and believes some continuity in midfield could be the making of this Ipswich team.

“We are just a little mixed up in midfield but I’m sure he will get it right,” he said.

“Injuries are not Mick’s fault and there’s still a long way to go, so if we can get some players back in there then we will be ok.”

Emyr Huws has now played three times for the club’s under-23 side as he continues to battle his way back to fitness, with an Achilles problem meaning he has been unable to feature since making his loan move from Cardiff permanent in the summer.

Tom Adeyemi has played just five games since joining the club in the summer, with hamstring trouble ruling him out of the last three, while Luke Hyam and Teddy Bishop have also failed to kick a ball in the first team this season, although Bishop scored for the under-23s at Millwall, on Friday as he continues his comeback. Andre Dozzell has also been sidelined since the opening day, when he suffered a knee ligament injury.

McCarthy will be hoping to have Huws available for Saturday’s trip to Hull, where the Blues begin a run of four Championship games in just 11 days.