No one is more delighted than Mick McCarthy to see Teddy Bishop back in contention for a first-team spot at Ipswich Town.
The 19-year-old made his first appearance of the season, as a late substitute, in Tuesday evening’s goalless draw against relegation-threatened Charlton Athletic at Portman Road.
It was a welcome sight for the Ipswich faithful as the Cambridgshire-born teenager, who was a revelation in his first full season last term, made his comeback from troublesome hamstring and shin injuries.
It’s been a frustrating period of time for the midfielder, a product of Town’s youth academy, and McCarthy revealed that the youngster, who played on 31 occasions for Ipswich last season as the Blues reached the play-off semi-finals, had been through the mill over recent months.
“I spoke to him a long time ago about him walking around with a face like a slapped backside,” said McCarthy, who gave Bishop the final eight minutes of the game, as well as overseeing David McGoldrick’s gradual return from a long-term injury too – the striker playing for the last 25 minutes against the Londoners.
“I get it, because if you are injured as a player, the last thing you want to be doing is walking round with a big smile on your face, looking like you are enjoying yourself, because then people start to think you are not bothered about playing, it doesn’t matter, and that you are quite enjoying being out of the team.
“On the flip-side, if you are walking round the training ground and continually showing everyone how upset and miserable you are because you are out of the team injured, then that does not help your demeanour or recovery.
“I have to say he got that, I knew exactly why he was looking miserable.
“One, because he was injured and the other one because there would be a lot of us quick to jump on him if he was walking round enjoying himself and telling jokes all the time.
“There has to be a happy medium when you are injured and I think he got that.
“He’s come back and he looks great in training.
“You see the quality Teddy has, he’s an outstanding young footballer and we’ve missed him this season.”
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