IPSWICH boss Paul Jewell remains confident Josh Carson will sign a new three-year contract with the club.

The Northern Irishman, who is expected to keep his place for tomorrow’s trip to Leeds United, was this week offered the extended contract amid fears he might walk away from Ipswich in the summer.

And on the day fellow youngster Ronan Murray penned a one-year contract with the Blues, Jewell revealed that he was equally optimistic about securing Carson’s future.

The Town boss said: “I spoke to his agent last night and to Marcus (Evans). Hopefully we can get that tied up in the next week or so. Josh is 18/19, is getting better and we’d like to tie him down to a new deal.”

While Carson remains a little up in the air, and Luke Hyam ponders his own one-year offer, Murray had no problem putting pen to paper.

But his immediate future will once again be spent in Swindon after Jewell rubber-stamped a three-month loan deal following the striker’s brief, but successful, spell with Paolo Di Canio’s men either side of Christmas.

Jewell said: “Ronan is going back to Swindon with a new contract and a clear mind. He’s done well there. He’s been in and around the first-team and scored a couple of goals.

“The loan’s been good for him. It’s given him a real lift and he’s proved he can play at that level. He’s going to a club that is chasing promotion and has got some big cup games to play and that will be great experience for him.

“Hopefully he will score a bag full of goals there and then come back to us full of confidence in the summer, ready to stake his claim for a first-team place.” Jewell will be hoping regular football will see Murray return to Suffolk in the summer gunning for a first team spot.

The striker said: “I’m obviously delighted to have been given a new contract here,” Ronan told the Club website.

“It means I know where my future is beyond the summer, when my contract was going to finish and I can come back here and push hard for a place in the side at the start of next season.

“I really enjoyed my time at Swindon and when the manager here (Paul Jewell) said that they were happy for me to go back there on loan for the rest of the season, I jumped at the opportunity.

“It’s been great to be involved down there week after week and that’s what I need at this stage of my career.

“Swindon are in a good position in the league and hopefully I can play my part in taking the club up. There are also some big cup games coming up, in the FA Cup and in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy so it’s an exciting time.”