Ahadme is the hard worker with 'super strengths' who fits McKenna's mould

You could see how quickly the Ipswich manager took a liking to Kayden Jackson after taking the job at Portman Road, with the boss attracted to the No.19’s pace and running power.

Freddie Ladapo is physical and a hard worker, with good pace and strength, and Gassan Ahadme ticks all of those boxes, too.

He stands more than 6ft tall, is athletic, can hold the ball up, turn in behind and works hard.

Ahadme has said of himself previously: “For a tall striker I believe in my footwork. I also like to link up play and combine with other teammates."

McKenna has shown he doesn’t value signing ‘names’ for the sake of it but Ahadme fits the bill in terms of his wants for central strikers.

His arrival gives McKenna three to pick from through the middle, four if you include Tyreece John-Jules, with them all offering something slightly different but all offering this Ipswich team what it needs.

If this season is going to end in success, Town will need goals to continue to come from the attacking midfield positions in good numbers, just as they have during the opening month of the campaign.

But goals from central strikers are vital, too. Town may not need one of the three central options to hit 25 this season but they will surely need to combine for that number at least between them.

Ahadme has five to his name already this season, having started well in a Burton shirt, so the signs are good.

A big night

Ahadme was the stand-out Burton performer during Town’s 1-0 victory at the Pirelli Stadium last month. Watching the game back earlier today has confirmed that.

And, while the Ipswich recruitment team will have been well aware of him prior to that, his display that night surely played a big part in his arrival at Portman Road.

Inside seven minutes he had hit Christian Walton’s crossbar and headed wide from a ball into the box, while he was also the man to profit on Marcus Harness’s error 15 minutes later, forcing a good save from the Town keeper before being the intended target again when a ball was played back into the box.

He never stopped running throughout the 90 minutes, nipping in ahead of Ipswich defenders, showing a good touch and holding the ball up with his back to goal.

George Edmundson and Luke Woolfenden both had difficult evenings, trying to handle a striker who seems to enjoy trying to push opposition players into making mistakes.

Beginnings

Born in Morocco, Ahadme has represented his country at youth level and came to England in 2019.

He joined Town’s rivals, Norwich, from Spanish amateur side Gimnastic de Manresa, where he played in a league containing youth sides from Barcelona and Real Mallorca and finished as the division’s top scorer in his final season.

On signing for the Canaries, he said: “It’s a great feeling because I was playing in a small team in Spain and it’s a great thing for me and new life. I hope it all goes okay.

“I was playing in small team called Gimnastic de Manresa. It’s not a very famous team.

“I first heard of Norwich’s interest in December. They watched me a few times and then asked me to come on trial. When I came on trial here, I did my best and finally got the chance to sign.

“The trial was good. The weather was slightly different for me because it’s much colder here but I really enjoyed it.”

He slotted into Norwich’s Under 23s, scoring seven goals in 14 games there and also netting once in two outings for an Under 21 side in the EFL Trophy.

A loan to Real Oviedo II in Spain followed, but injury meant he only played six games there.

Ahadme joined Portsmouth on loan at the start of last season (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

Step on the Gass

The end of his Norwich career effectively came in the summer of 2021, when he was loaned to League One side Portsmouth.

He was prolific in pre-season, scoring eight goals and raising expectations significantly, but that didn’t translate into competitive action.

He scored just once in 10 appearances, only two of which were league starts, as he drifted out of the picture at Fratton Park.

Pompey manager Danny Cowley said: “We’ve got nothing but love for Gassan because he’s a great kid who has a brilliant work ethic and is someone who trains incredibly hard.

Ahadme impressed for Portsmouth in pre-season but couldn't convert that into competitive success (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

‘He just wants to get better. We were just frustrated and I was frustrated, that, ultimately come match-day, we were getting in his way and not picking him.

“He’s working hard to develop areas in his game. He has some super strengths in terms of hold-up play and attacking crosses. We’re going to miss him because he’s been a good character in-and-around the place.

“Even when he hasn’t been in the team, he’s trained with an exceptional attitude and focus. There’s a lot to love about him.”

Pompey ultimately allowed Ahadme to return to Norwich to free up a loan spot and eventually replaced him with Coventry’s Tyler Walker.

A great mentor

Just a few days after leaving Portsmouth in January, Ahadme signed for Burton on a permanent deal, ending his time at Norwich.

In Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, the youngster had the perfect man to learn from when it comes to centre-forward play.

Hasselbaink said: “He fits the profile of what we’re looking for in a forward - he’s mobile and has potential.

“We think we can develop him and make him a better player. We like that he plays with energy and can get around the pitch for a big forward."

He scored three goals in 14 matches during his first campaign at Burton, leading Hasselbaink to say: “We have really big hopes for him because he’s technically very good. I don’t think we have seen 30% of his ability yet but we have faith in him.”

It would be interesting to hear what percentage Hasselbaink believes Ahadme to have reached during the opening month of 2022/23, during which he scored five goals in a poor Burton side.

One of those goals was the fastest in the club’s history, as he netted in just 11 seconds against Cambridge, as part of a run of four goals in his final two Burton appearances.

He was in the right place at the right time to finish from close range in that 4-4 draw with Accrington, before finding space in the box to head home his rapid goal against the U’s.

His second goal in that game saw him charge down Cambridge keeper Dimitar Mitov and find the net through sheer hard work, before a brace against Leicester’s Under 21s in the Papa John’s Trophy on Tuesday.

The first saw him pick a defender’s pocket and finish, before a really nice header doubled his and his team’s tally inside the opening seven minutes.

Town have signed an in-form player who is clearly enjoying his football at the start of this season. Hopefully that continues in an Ipswich shirt.