The sight of Tyrone Mings galloping down the left wing, his long strides eating up the pitch, has become a common occurrence at Portman Road.

Therefore, it may come as a surprise that one of the reasons the 6ft 3ins defender was released from Southampton’s academy as a youngster, was because he was too small.

“They had a mix of reasons,” said Mings, who dropped into non-league with Chippenham, before being signed by Mick McCarthy for £10,000, almost two years ago.

“One of the reasons was money, they (Southampton) had just dropped into League One, while another one was I was not quite big enough.

“At 15 I was quite wiry like I guess I am now, but probably only five-foot-seven or five-foot-eight.

“So for a youngster, in this country, they like everyone to be big and bully people and run faster and be stronger than I was. I didn’t fit the bill at the time which I guess is fine.

“Where the growth spurt has come from, I’ve not a clue. My dad is five-ten, five-eleven, but all my grandparents are six-four, six-five, so maybe I skipped a generation.”

Mings’s father Ade is currently a scout at Premier League giants Chelsea, having previously had a career as a player in non-league football and managed Chippenham.

Mings junior explained how he benefits from his father’s knowledge of the game and appreciates their ability to have both a personal and professional relationship.

“He tries to get to as many games as he can and hopefully he will be there this weekend (at Nottingham Forest),” added Mings.

“He tries to speak to me more from the point-of-view of a person in football, rather than a dad.

“He sees a lot of games and sees a lot of players getting moves and doing well.

“I think it helps me to pay more attention. He knows what he is talking about and I know what he can offer me in terms of knowledge.

“He was a footballer in non-league and played Conference level, before managing Chippenham. He left as I went to play there and got the job at Chelsea.

“There, he gets sent to games that are on Chelsea’s list, he can do anything from under-15s down to first team players they have out on loan or are looking to sign.”