Luke Woolfenden is excited for the future at Ipswich Town and believes ‘it was only a matter of time’ before a wave of young players broke into the first-team together.
The 20-year-old defender is currently on loan at League Two Swindon but was back at Portman Road recently to sign a new deal, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2022.
He will return to Suffolk in the summer as Paul Lambert builds the club around its young talent, with academy prospect Woolfenden excited by what the future holds.
“It was really good to get my contract sorted,” Woolfenden said.
MORE: ‘Behind Bree? Yes. Behind Emmanuel? Absolutely. Behind Spence? Yeah’ - Lambert on Cotter’s place in pecking order“My old one was running out and I didn’t know what was going to happen so to have that sorted is good.
“I’ve been back to the training ground in Ipswich a bit and have spoken to Paul Lambert and he’s just told me to keep going.
“The talent we have in the academy in Ipswich is a bit of a joke really because there are some really good players in there.
“It felt like it was only a matter of time before we all broke through and it’s great to do that together.
“I keep in touch with the lads pretty much every day and I’m looking forward to being back in the summer, although I’m really enjoying my time at Swindon too. All the young lads are in a really good place at the moment.
MORE: A first-team regular, some spectacular goals but a few frustrations - how Town’s loanees are faring away from Ipswich“There’s still a chance Ipswich can stay up and I really hope they can.”
Woolfenden has made 29 appearances for a Swindon side currently sitting 13th in League Two, seven points outside the play-offs.
He’s played under two managers at the County Ground, firstly Phil Brown and then former Ipswich loanee Richie Wellens, and feels he has gained a lot from his time in Wiltshire.
“To be honest I don’t think it could have gone much better than it has,” he said.
“I had a bit of an injury and missed a couple of games earlier in the season but that’s all ok now.
MORE: Town’s pre-season trip to Germany is taking shape“I think I’ve probably played eight games as a right-back but then the rest at centre-back. I can play in both I think but obviously centre back is my main position.
“We’ve changed manager at Swindon this season, which was a new experience for me, and since the new gaffer has come in we’ve been a bit more consistent and we’re in with a shout of the play-offs.
“He likes to play out from the back, which suits the way I play, but there are also some big boys playing up front in this division which I think I’ve been able to handle well as well.”
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