IT’S time to finally fulfil your potential.

That’s Ipswich Town skipper Carlos Edwards’ challenge to team-mate Jay Emmanuel-Thomas after the pair combined to seal a crucial 1-0 win against Bolton at Portman Road on Saturday.

Edwards netted the winner in the 88th minute, but it was Emmanuel-Thomas – on again as a late substitute – who provided the assist thanks to a fine moment of trickery and cross.

The 22-year-old spent eight games out of the Blues’ matchday squad recently, with manager Mick McCarthy unhappy with the ex-Arsenal man’s ‘abysmal’ work-rate in a second string fixture.

The £1.1m signing has played an instrumental role off the bench in the last two home matches though, having produced a brave block in the final moments of the 1-0 win over Leicester.

“We can get a lot more from him,” said Edwards. “He needs to believe in himself once he has been called upon, whether or not that is in the last five minutes or not. He has got to pull his finger out and do what the players and manager know he is capable of.

“He has bags of talent – I don’t think he knows what talent he’s got.

“The players, myself, the manager are going to keep on at him whether he likes it or not to get the best out of him. Hopefully he will take it on the chin as we are in this together.

“We need each other and hopefully he will take it with a pinch of salt and a smile on his face.”

Blues boss Mick McCarthy said: “The way he twisted his marker’s blood to beat him was fabulous. We all know he can do that.

“Ryan Giggs runs about a lot and he’s a magician; (David) Beckham does, (Cristiano) Ronaldo does.

“Quality players have to put the hard yards in too. If he (Emmanuel-Thomas) does that for me, he plays. If he doesn’t, he’ll be a sub who comes on and maybe provides a bit of magic. I’m sorry, that’s how it is.

“If I’m being ultra picky, he let (Chung-Yong) Lee run once and the veins in my neck were sticking out!

“I don’t think it’s a lack of effort, I think sometimes he just doesn’t see it. It’s about reading the game and putting yourself in the right positions.

“He’s trained really well, there were loads that tried to get him on loan, but I told them all to get lost. I want him to contribute and he did it today. I’m delighted for him.”