Teddy Bishop believes getting a full pre-season under his belt will be ‘game-changing’ for him as he continues his drive for full fitness following three injury-disrupted years.
The midfielder has been one of the bright spots of a disastrous season on the pitch for the Blues, which is almost certain to end with relegation to League One.
Bishop, who made just 10 league starts in the three seasons prior to the start of this campaign, has been in the matchday squad for all-but one of the Blues’ games in 2019, only missing the draw at Wigan due to illness.
He’s signed a new deal with the club, keeping him at Portman Road until at least 2021, and believes a solid body of work this summer will allow him to hit the start of next season in top gear,
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“That would be game-changing for me because I’ve not had a proper pre-season in three years,” Bishop said.
“It’s massive because if you miss pre-season you are always playing catch-up for the rest of the year, trying to get that fitness.
“I need to stay fit now between now and the end of the season and then that could be massive for me.
“I played at Exeter and then didn’t play again for months and after that I had a bit of a reaction and had to build myself back up again and get back into training for a month before you get considered.
“A good pre-season for me would do me the world of good.
“I think I’ve got better, fitter, sharper in every game I’ve played this season so the more I play, the fitter I will get and the better I will be.”
While Bishop knows he still has a way to go before he reaches peak match fitness levels, he feels as sharp as he did during the 2014/15 season, when he burst onto the scene and helped Ipswich charge into the Championship play-offs.
“I’m still getting back to it, even though I’ve not missed any training,” Bishop said.
“I do still get aches and pains because of the player I am I think, because I get fouled a lot. You pick up little niggles here and there if you’re getting kicked all the time.
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“I feel the best I’ve felt in four years.
“I feel my sharpness is like it was in the play-off year, the year I broke through, and I haven’t felt this sharp since then.
“The manager (Paul Lambert) and all of the staff have been really patient with me and haven’t pushed me too hard, putting me in when he thought was right. I’ve agreed with him on that.
“I enjoy playing for him and I think he’s a really good manager.”
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