Ipswich Town striker Kayden Jackson knows it’s important for him to stake a claim if he is given a start against Colchester United tomorrow night.
Blues boss Kieran McKenna has kept a settled side for the first two league matches of the season, with the attacking trio of Freddie Ladapo, Conor Chaplin and Marcus Harness starting the matches with Bolton and Forest Green.
But Jackson is likely to get his chance to start for the first time since a cruel hamstring injury ended his 2021/22 season in March, just as he was finding his groove under McKenna.
He’s keen to show what he can do.
“It’s massively important,” Jackson said, when asked about staking a claim.
“Whoever is out there just wants to be helping the lads, whether it’s pressing, assisting or scoring goals. Whether it’s 10 minutes for me or 90 minutes I just want to go out there and show the boss what I can do.
“Me and Tyreece (John-Jules) have come on in games and have shown we’re keen to grasp what we can in the minutes that we have.
“I want to play as many games as I possibly can. I had surgery after my injury last season so I want to stay fit and, when I play, help the team as much as possible.
“The injury came at the wrong time for me because I was feeling the best I have in an Ipswich shirt, so I want to get back out there and show people what I can do again.”
The Carabao Cup clash with the U’s could pit Jackson up against his former Ipswich skipper Luke Chambers, as well as Cole Skuse, Freddie Sears and Alan Judge.
“You always need people like that to help you settle into a new club,” Jackson said, when asked what the likes of Chambers and Skuse had done for him at Town.
“I came from four hours away and was away from my family a lot, so they were massive for me. I’ll always be grateful to them.
“They had exceptional careers at Ipswich and were able to play so many games for a reason. When I think of Ipswich I think of Chambo and Skusey and those guys, so it’s a little strange being here without them.
“It will be good to see them and I’m sure lots of people will be grateful for everything they did for the club and the things they still do around the community.
“I’m looking forward to playing against them. I like to have a bit of banter (with the opposition) because it’s a good way to stay chilled and relaxed and things like that.
“I’d like to think that when I need to switch it on I can do that. It will be nice to see the lads before and after the game but, when the whistle goes, we’ll be focusing on getting through to the next round.”
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