IRISH keeper Shane Supple is determined to continue his fight to be No. 1 and has banished all thoughts of slapping in a transfer request.Supple has refused to follow his good friend and rival Lewis Price's lead and look to leave Portman Road in the light of Neil Alexander's arrival and instead is looking to challenge the Scottish international for his place.

By Derek Davis

IRISH keeper Shane Supple is determined to continue his fight to be No. 1 and has banished all thoughts of slapping in a transfer request.

Supple has refused to follow his good friend and rival Lewis Price's lead and look to leave Portman Road in the light of Neil Alexander's arrival and instead is looking to challenge the Scottish international for his place.

Supple said: “With Neil coming in it is a new challenge for me. I want to play and I'm not settling to be No. 2 and we will push each other.

“It has never entered my head to ask to leave. I'm still very young for a keeper and learning my trade and this is the best place for me at the moment.

“I have played a lot of games for Jim and obviously I want to play as many games as I can but I see me doing that here.”

Supple admits he will be saddened by Price's departure but accepts it could be a positive step for his friend's career.

He said: “Lewis is a great friend of mine. We have grown up together as people and as goalkeepers for the past five years so it will be sad to see Lewis go. I wish him all the best wherever he ends up. He is a fantastic keeper and a fantastic person.

“People come and go in football, that is the nature of the business and I'm sure he will do well wherever he ends up.”

The 20-year-old continues to harbour hopes of Republic of Ireland Under-21 caps.

He said: “Getting back into the Irish set-up is important to me and to do that I need to be playing but first of all playing for Ipswich is my priority.”