It’s about to get even tougher to reach the Promised Land.

That is the warning today from local lad and former Town youth Matt Bloomfield who believes Paul Jewell’s job has become even more difficult thanks to the six new Championship sides next season.

Relegated trio Wolves, Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn will all be looking to make an instant return to the Premier League while ambitious duo Charlton Athletic and Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping to emulate the recent achievements of Norwich City and Southampton.

Then there is Huddersfield Town, led by a certain Jordan Rhodes who sources close to the club have tipped to remain with the Terriers despite Premier League interest.

With Ipswich now the longest-serving club in the second tier, Bloomfield, who played against the three promoted League One sides last season, has words of warning for his home-town club.

He said: “I expect the Championship to be even stronger next season what with the three clubs who have come up, never mind the ones that have gone down from the Premier League.

“The likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton are historically big clubs while I expect Huddersfield to have money to spend, like they have done in League One.

“All three promoted sides won’t be punching above their weight. They are big clubs who deserve to be in the Championship and will definitely be challenging in the top half.”

While Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves will expect nothing but a top-two challenge, Ipswich-born Bloomfield, who played just once for Town, has tipped Sheffield Wednesday to do well, thanks to the experience of manager Dave Jones and their intimidating Hillsborough home.

Last season, Wednesday boasted the biggest attendance in the whole of the Football League – more than 38,000 seeing them clinch promotion on the last day against Bloomfield’s Wycombe Wanderers.

He added: “It was a truly unbelievable occasion to play in – they are certainly not a League One club.”