Ipswich Town contract talks with Tyreece Simpson unresolved but Swindon Town loan star does have first team chance

Tyreece Simpson has been challenged to 'stake a claim' for game time in Kieran McKenna's Ipswich Town side after continuing contract negotiations saw the teenager left without a loan placement.

The 19-year-old had been enjoying his time firing in the goals with League Two Swindon Town when his season-long deal was cut short just a week before the close of the January transfer window to resolve his future.

Simpson's first professional contract, signed after making his senior league debut at Blackpool in February 2020, is due to expire this summer, though it was previously reported Town have the option of extending it by a further year.

After scoring 11 goals from 30 appearances (28 starts) in all competitions in Wiltshire the player, whose family are based in Stowmarket, had been disappointed to leave saying on an Instagram post it was 'one of the hardest goodbyes'.

There was speculation he could head back or out to another club on loan before Monday's transfer window closed, but it seems the ongoing contract negotiations proved to have kept him at Portman Road.

And despite having four senior strikers fighting for one or two spots in his team, McKenna is open to giving him a chance, should he shine in training and under-23 matches.

"Look, it's not impossible he doesn't play first-team football for us in the second half of the season," he said in this afternoon's pre-Gillingham press conference.

"He's been training with us a good amount this week, he's going to be getting some minutes with the under-23s at times as well in the next week or two.

"It's a situation between the club and Tyreece's representation and Tyreece where there is discussions going on about his long-term future and his role at the club going forward.

"Obviously we hope those discussions can progress well. We want Tyreece to be here in the long-term.

"Obviously it wasn't possible in the end for him to go out before the end of January so it gives us another good player in the door.

"It gives us another chance to have a closer look at him, work with him in training and we will make sure he still gets some match minutes.

"It is up to him then while he is in the door to stake a claim for minutes in the first team as well as he can."

Simpson, who turns 20 on Monday, was understood to have been recommended to the Blues by former goalkeeper Richard Wright off the back of a trial at Manchester City.

A former promising rugby player, who came close to signing for Leicester Tigers before choosing Town, signed a scholarship in Suffolk in the summer of 2018.

He made his professional debut in the leasing.com Trophy (EFL Trophy) group match against Tottenham Hotspur Under-21s at Portman Road in September 2019, coming off the bench in a 2-1 win for Town.

McKenna has also said fellow striker Joe Pigott does have a future at the club, despite his lack of game time.

But he revealed attacking midfielder Scott Fraser had been sold on deadline day after wanting to be an automatic choice, something he could not offer him.