Cole Skuse could prove to be one of the best buys in the Championship this season.

That’s according to Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy, who has heaped praise on the central midfielder following his impressive start to life in Suffolk.

The Blues travel to QPR today to face a newly-relegated side which includes a vast amount of experience in the middle of the park, with Joey Barton, Karl Henry and Jermaine Jenas all options for big-spending manager Harry Redknapp.

Yet McCarthy is more than happy with the 10 signings he has landed for next to nothing, none more so than Skuse – a Bosman free transfer arrival from Bristol City following their demotion to the third tier.

“I think he’ll be one of the good signings of the summer – not just for us, but the whole division,” enthused the Blues boss.

“He was excellent last weekend (in the 3-0 home win over Millwall) – I thought he was the best player on the pitch. It was a good team performance, but I thought Cole Skuse stood out.

“I thought he dictated the pace of the game. He’s a really elegant footballer.”

McCarthy continued: “I tried to sign him in the January window and Bristol City wouldn’t sell him because they thought he was integral to their chances of staying up.

“Sean O’Driscoll (Bristol City boss) said ‘if you like him now, you’ll like him even more when you start working with him’. He was right. Cole has a real understanding of what you want to do and how you want to play.

“I’ve been impressed by him as a person and a player. I think he could go on to play in the Premier League.”

– See today’s EADT for full match preview. Follow @Stuart_Watson on Twitter for live match updates.