Mick McCarthy is still keen to see Cole Skuse line up in a central three alongside Emyr Huws and Tom Adeyemi as the midfielder reaches 200 games in Ipswich Town blue.
The experienced campaigner, who recently signed a new contract keeping him at the club until 2020, will become the first McCarthy signing to reach 200 Ipswich games when he lines up against Sheffield Wednesday tonight, having been one of his manager’s most trusted men since arriving in 2013.
The Town boss had hoped to use the 31-year-old as part of a three-man central midfield alongside Huws and Adeyemi this season and, despite injuries meaning the trio will not play together before the end of the campaign, McCarthy hopes to see them do so in the future.
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“I still think that would have been a potent force to be honest,” McCarthy said.
“Certainly Emyr when he’s played, be it last season or this season, has been excellent and Tom is a real threat. It’s just unfortunate they’re both injured because I’d still like to see that midfield three and I think that would be good.”
Huws had season-ending knee surgery in December while Adeyemi has featured just five times since arriving in the summer due to a succession injury problems - most recently a hamstring problem.
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Asked where Skuse would rank among the near 100 players he’s brought to Portman Road, McCarthy replied: “Very highly.
“He’s played well, he’s a good player. We say he’s durable but he’s a good player too.
“Cole’s one of those who people have started to take for granted a little bit, for how good he is and how valuable he is to the team.
“He lets the rest of them get on with it and play and he does a lot of mopping up for people.
“He’s not sticking goals in here, there and everywhere but he’s been a real valuable asset for me, the club and the team.
“If you asked all the players as well, they’d pick him as well.”
It’s not just McCarthy who rates Skuse highly, with midfield partner Callum Connolly full of praise for a player he has learnt from during his loan spell from Everton.
“He’s a very experienced player and is a good lad off the pitch who I get on well with,” Connolly said.
“He has a presence and I’m just trying to pick up little bits off him both in training and games.”
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