MAN-of-the-moment, Connor Wickham, might be only 17 years old, but he is displaying a maturity beyond his tender years.

MAN-of-the-moment, Connor Wickham, might be only 17 years old, but he is displaying a maturity beyond his tender years.

Attacker Wickham, despite playing wide on the left rather than as a striker, celebrated the first hat-trick of his career in the 6-0 thrashing of Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday night.

And he will be in the hunt for more goals against Hull City at an expectant Portman Road tomorrow.

But Wickham is not a typical teenager, as Jewell revealed on the eve of the Tigers clash.

“I get asked about Connor Wickham almost every day,” explained Jewell.

“I’ll say the same thing as I have done a million times before, and I’ll probably still be saying this when he is 28.

“He has huge potential, and he handles all the attention quite well.

“He doesn’t have the air of a teenager. He’s very mature in that way. It doesn’t seem to bother him, though I think his tattoo is spelt wrong!” joked Jewell.

Jewell went on to list Wickham’s main attributes - and there are many of those - although he did suggest that he would like his young striker to be less laid-back.

“Connor’s got everything. He can run, he is quick and strong,” continued Jewell.

“But he needs to improve on a lot of areas, and he knows that himself.

“He’s playing in a position that is a bit foreign to him, with three up front and him wide left. But he tracks back well and it is another string to his bow.

“He’s a nice laid-back lad, and sometimes a bit too laid-back. I’d like him to be a bit more aggressive at times, but he’s learning all the time.”

Despite Wickham’s recent goal-flourish, it has been a squad effort to propel Town up into mid-table.

“It’s not just a team effort, it’s a squad effort. You’re only as strong as the players who are out of the team,” added Jewell.