PAUL Jewell predicts a very bright future ahead for Josh Carson, following the 17-year-old’s second senior appearance at Burnley on Saturday.

PAUL Jewell predicts a very bright future ahead for Josh Carson, following the 17-year-old’s second senior appearance at Burnley on Saturday.

Fresh from his League debut, in the 2-0 home win over Scunthorpe in Ipswich Town’s previous outing, Carson was handed another start by Jewell.

And Town’s Academy stalwart again did not look overawed, or out of place, on the right flank, in a 4-3-3 formation

“I thought Josh did fine,” insisted Jewell.

“He was feisty and aggressive, and he’s only going to be better for these two performances.

“Burnley are looking to get in the play-offs, and into the Premier League, so it is not an easy place to come.

“I thought he played well. He tired a little bit in the second half, but I think he is going to be a decent player,” added Jewell.

Once again, the Town boss intimated, after Saturday’s 2-1 success at Turf Moor, that he might give a few more of his other up-and-coming teenagers a chance, during the last month of the season.

However, he has tended to stick with a similar formula throughout his first three months at the helm, as opposed to his predecessor, Roy Keane, who was always apt to make changes for every game.

Jewell confirmed: “Ipswich has always had a reputation for producing great players.

“We have a great training facility at Ipswich, a great Academy, and it’s always nice when young players like Josh (Carson) come through. We have one or two players beneath them who I think are going to be decent players as well.

“So I might give other people a chance, but I want the people playing now not to want to have a rest.

“We have five players out on loan, which was my decision, so I’m not complaining, but we don’t have the biggest squad,

“There are seven games to go as yet, and we want to finish the season with as many points as possible.

“We still have everything to play for, because we have people playing for their futures, and the supporters have come an awful long way to watch us.

“So if I think anyone has got nothing to play for, then they won’t be playing. It’s as simple as that.”

Of course, Town’s most prominent teenager is Connor Wickham. And he capped his 19th successive start with his seventh goal, via a 24th minute header that bounced off the ground to loop over goalkeeper Lee Grant.

Wickham has played virtually every minute of those last 19 games, while also surviving the full 90 minutes for England Under-21s in their 2-1 defeat to Iceland the previous Monday.

Jewell is certainly not afraid to keep selecting his 18-year-old front-man, whereas Keane was always reluctant to start with his young starlet.

“Connor is a young kid. An awful lot is spoken about him and he deals with it very well,” continued Jewell.

“He scored a decent goal today, and he never stops running. He’s going to be a top player.”