Teenager Jack Lankester hopes to be involved with the Ipswich Town first team for the remainder of the season but would be prepared to spend time out on loan if it aides his development.
The Bury St Edmunds youngster impressed in the club’s youth sides at the end of last season and at the start of this, earning a professional contract and a senior debut off the bench in the loss to QPR last month.
He has been an unused substitute in Paul Lambert’s first two games in charge but has already been described as a ‘huge talent’ by the new Ipswich boss.
He hopes to continue his development with the senior Ipswich squad but, should his opportunities dry up, he would be happy to follow the path of Luke Woolfenden and Tristan Nydam and head out on loan.
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“It’s something I’d consider for sure,” Lankester said.
“Right now I have some involvement in the first-team and I’d like to continue progressing here. But if an opportunity comes up at the right time then it should always be something to look at.
“If I make a breakthrough then great but if it comes to a point where I need game time then I don’t see any harm in seeing what the best option is.”
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Progress has been rapid for the 18-year-old over the last six months, but the path has not always been so smooth.
“My U16s season wasn’t really an enjoyable one to be honest. It proved to be a bit of a reality check plus I struggled with injuries and fitness,” he said.
“I went away on holiday and when I came back I wasn’t fit enough and I struggled with injuries.
When I became a scholar I think that’s when it really sunk in that I had to work hard and try to prove people wrong.
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“In a lot of ways it helped, though, because it made me work harder and I didn’t get complacent.
“I was offered a contract early and I’m not afraid to say I got a little bit complacent. But when the reality struck that other guys were coming in and playing ahead of me – that’s when the penny dropped and I said to myself ‘I’m going to do this’ and I just really went from there.”
Lankester’s progress has seen him put on standby for England Under 19s for a trio of matches over the international break.
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