LIAM Trotter has set his sights on helping his home-town club win their way back to the Premier League.The 19-year-old midfielder wants to do enough this season to win a new contract in the summer, and then be part of the Marcus Evans revolution that is set to start when he becomes owner of the Blues next week.

By Derek Davis

LIAM Trotter has set his sights on helping his home-town club win their way back to the Premier League.

The 19-year-old midfielder wants to do enough this season to win a new contract in the summer, and then be part of the Marcus Evans revolution that is set to start when he becomes owner of the Blues next week.

Trotter is in the Town squad for today's Coca-Cola Championship clash with Scunthorpe at Portman Road (kick-off 3pm), with the former student at the West Suffolk Football College at Bury St Edmunds expected to be named as one of the substitutes.

The ex-Northgate High School pupil made his Town debut at Plymouth in the last match of Joe Royle's managerial reign, and he featured in the fifth round FA Cup 1-0 defeat at Watford last season.

This year he scored against Colchester United and made his full debut at Sheffield United.

“My one main target this season is to do enough to win a new contract,” said Trotter, the only Ipswich-raised player in the current first-team squad.

“My contract is up at the end of the season and I'm hoping to keep getting first team action and pop up with the odd goal.

“Hopefully I can convince the gaffer to give me a new deal.”

Trotter has made a big mark this season after coming to the fore as part of the 2005 FA Youth Cup-winning side.

He added: “I always believed I was good enough to play for this club.

“It was just a case of taking it from the training pitch and into the reserves to convince the coaches that I was worth a chance in the first team.

“This year I have started to do that and I have been rewarded by getting my chance.

“I feel very much part of the first team squad now and part of this promotion push. This has helped with my confidence.

“I was not really involved for the past couple of years so I'm really happy to be with the squad week after week, even if it just means coming off the bench now and then.”

Like the rest of the Ipswich squad, Trotter wants to see the side gaining more points away from home, and he says that luck is playing a part.

He added: “We weren't nervous at the beginning of the season but it has been that way a bit recently.

“It's mainly down to getting a bit of luck.

“At home against Leicester on Tuesday we were awarded a penalty and also saw Leicester have a man sent off.

“Things went our way, which they are not doing away. In fact, sometimes it is the complete opposite.”

“We will get our away win soon because we won't go all season without an away win.

“Everyone is trying their best and that nagging feeling about not getting it is holding us back.”