Ipswich Town winger Danny Rowe will be joining League Two side Lincoln City on loan for the second half of the season when the January transfer window opens.

The 25-year-old has made just three starts and four substitute appearances since signing for £100k from National League side Macclesfield Town back in January and rarely been in the matchday squad this season.

“Danny’s going to Lincoln,” revealed Blues boss Mick McCarthy. “It’s a good move for him, they’ve got a chance of getting promoted. He met (Lincoln boss) Danny Cowley yesterday and he explained to him what he wants from him and where he wants him to play.

“It’ll be good for us because I still think Danny’s got something to offer, but he needs to play in a league side and if he has a really good second half of the season with Lincoln then that may push him further into the picture for us next season.”

McCarthy says the move is not down to any link forged between the clubs during the two FA Cup ties they played out last season, Lincoln winning a third round replay at Sincil Bank, going on to reach the quarter-finals and then securing promotion as National League champions.

Former Braintree Town boss Cowley was among those watching the Town U23s defeat Aston Villa in the Premier League Cup last month in which Rowe played the first 80 minutes.

“Danny Cowley rang me up and said he was interested in him and to be fair to them they were the ones that were in first, were straight about it and I said ‘make your offer, what you want to do’ and they did it,” McCarthy added.

“There have been other clubs interested but they were right at the very start and I think it’s a good move for him.

“I think he would like to have played in League One but I said, ‘Danny, you’ve just got to play, you’ve got to play games and you might help them get them get promoted to League One’, which would be great on his CV if he does that and it would be great for him in relation to playing here.”