Ipswich Town midfielder Luke Hyam has joined fellow Championship club Rotherham on loan until January 23, the Blues including a 24-hour recall clause.

The 24-year-old hasn’t featured for the Blues’ first team since injuring his knee in the 1-0 home defeat to Southampton, in the FA Cup, back on January 14. He underwent surgery in the summer after suffering a set-back during the pre-season training camp in Ireland and recently made his comeback in an Under-21 match at QPR.

Ipswich-born Hyam, who went to Northgate High School, had been a regular under Mick McCarthy’s management and has made more than 100 appearances for his hometown club.

Rotherham are currently 23rd in the table having lost six of their last eight games. Hyam could feature in 11 games before the end of his loan, the south Yorkshire side at home to Bristol City on Saturday.

“I rang Neil Redfearn after we’d played them because I knew he was looking for loan players,” said Blues boss Mick McCarthy. “I told him we had Luke coming back and that if that was the type he was looking forward he wouldn’t get any better.

“Luke gets around the pitch, puts the work in and inspires others by doing that.

“He played in the 21s, he played in a game we had here in the week and he looks fine.

“There’s certainly nothing wrong with his knee and he’s one of the fittest players I’ve ever seen. He is always top of the running charts.

“He’s gone til the 23rd of January but, as always, I have a 24-hour recall after the first month. If we need him I can call him back from Christmas Eve.”

He added: “I can’t pick Neil’s team, but I don’t think he’d be taking him if he wasn’t planning on using him.

“And I know that when he sees him training and playing he’ll be a cert for them considering where they are. Luke Hyam will be the perfect player for a team trying to get out of the relegation zone.”

Asked if Hyam has still got a role to play for Town this season, McCarthy replied: “Yes. As always, footballers are the most insecure people in the world. When I first mentioned going out on loan to him and I could see he was worried.

“For two-and-a-half seasons he played just about every game for me though, so quite clearly I like him.

“He’s not played since January and it will do him good to go and get games. I’ve said to him that it’s his job to go out, impress and get back in my team.”

Millers boss Neil Redfearn told the Rotherham Advertiser: “Luke fits in with the type we want. He’s competitive, he’s an established Championship player and he gives us more competition for places. He also gives us a different way of playing in a 4-4-2 or a 4-5-1 if we want to be more solid.”

Hyam will be reunited with former Town loanees Danny Collins, Fraser Richardson and Paul Green at The New York Stadium.

The ‘emergency’ loan window shuts at 5pm today. Town striker James Alabi yesterday joined Conference National side Grimsby Town on loan until January, while today right-back Josh Emmanuel and keeper Michael Crowe have joined League Two sides Crawley and Stevenage respectively.