Derby v Ipswich: MICK McCarthy says keeping Ipswich Town in the Championship would be his biggest achievement.

The Blues boss has won the division with both Sunderland and Wolves, while he also took the Republic of Ireland to within a penalty kick of a World Cup quarter-final.

Having inherited an Ipswich side that were rock-bottom of English football’s second tier on a paltry seven points at the start of last November though, he says completing the great escape would be his best feat yet.

With Town travelling to Derby this afternoon three points above the relegation zone with six games to play, McCarthy was asked where avoiding the drop would rank in his career achievements.

He said: “It would be my best, because it’s my current.

“Nobody ever comes around and pats you on the back and tells you how well you’ve done in a World Cup, or winning the Championship with two different teams – it all gets forgotten.

“This would be my best achievement, because it’s the most recent and this is my club now. All the rest is forgotten.

“My achievements are the history books and, further down the line, I may look back on them – but this is what I’m doing now. This would be the best one for me.”

Ipswich would be fourth in the table had the season started when McCarthy arrived on November 1, however the unpredictable nature of a highly-congested league means that at least 14 sides are still in danger of relegation.

“It’s not been any different to what I thought it would be,” said McCarthy. “When I came in I said it would go right down to the last game. Whether bottom and second-bottom are cut and dried by then I don’t know.

“You can’t write Bristol City off yet, Peterborough keep winning games, Huddersfield have had a great run. It will be a devastating blow to anyone who suddenly drops into the bottom three over the next few weeks.”

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