Portman Road has a new darling.
Harry Clarke ticks every box when it comes to an Ipswich Town signing and made the perfect first impression during an excellent home debut against Morecambe.
It was a debut the Ipswich born-and-bred defender had waited many years for, having come through the club’s academy before a big move to Arsenal in 2015.
And, despite everything he’s experienced since, it was a debut packed with emotion when it finally came.
The 21-year-old is confident, strong, quick and aggressive. He likes to attack, knows he needs to defend and slotted into his right-sided role seamlessly.
Those attributes mean he is a player Town fans would have quickly grown to love whatever his background. But the fact his blood is Ipswich blue means the attraction has been instant.
Clarke’s position in the Town team is one which has been much-discussed during Kieran McKenna’s time in charge of the Blues, given its importance in making this Ipswich side function.
In essence it’s a hybrid role between a right-sided centre-back, a conventional right-back and a progressive wing-back.
Clarke seems perfectly suited to it. He’s played in all three of those roles during his young career to date. That’s why Town have signed him at such a significant cost at this level.
The position asks a lot of the players who play in it. It requires positional intelligence, supreme fitness and the ability to contribute in both defence and attack in each and every game.
That’s why Janoi Donacien deserves so much credit for the role he’s played in this Ipswich team for the last year.
The defender has been a central figure under Kieran McKenna, starting 58 of the Town boss’s 59 games in charge, prior to Clarke’s arrival.
And he’s never let Ipswich Town down. Not this season or in any other, when he’s been given the chance to play.
He’s as good a one-on-one defender as you will find at this level and has made real strides when it comes to the attacking side of his game. His partnership with Wes Burns has been a joy to watch at times.
Assists are part of his game now, with only Leif Davis and Burns contributing more than his three this season. If you’re thinking about a Janoi Donacien assist, then his cross for Bersant Celina’s dramatic winner against Fleetwood last season comes to mind.
But, to the watching eye, Donacien hasn’t been as impactful in attack this season as he was last. Maybe that’s a reflection on his performances, perhaps the result of playing so much football, maybe a slight tweak in his role or maybe a result of Town no longer relying so heavily on the right side of their team.
What’s clear, though, is that Clarke is here to play games. So the natural question is where that leaves Donacien.
In the short-term, Town’s No.44 will likely start against Burnley in the FA Cup on Saturday due to Clarke being cup-tied. But logic suggests Clarke will likely have the upper hand on Donacien in the battle for a starting spot. For now at least.
But Donacien can’t be written off, that’s for sure. He still has a vital role to play this season and surely beyond. His contract is up this summer but it will surely be renewed.
He’s a player trusted by McKenna and for that reason, coupled with the Town boss’s desire for an ultra-attacking bench, Donacien will surely make the matchday squad each and every week. He can play on the right, centre and left of the defence and that versatility is going to be key.
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Donacien’s Town journey to this point has been a rollercoaster ride which looked like it could come to an end at each and every turn.
But, every time, he’s kept on fighting. Kept on being himself. And now, under McKenna, he has a manager who truly believes in him. That won’t change.
He is far from the only player with real competition for his place. Ipswich have that in every position now, which is what makes the Blues so strong.
With Clarke and Donacien now at his disposal, McKenna can say that about his right-back position, too.
Even if Clarke does emerge as the regular starter, there will be times when Donacien is needed. Be it due to injury, form or in-game situations where a calm, steady head is required.
He’ll be ready. He always has been. Maybe this is just another challenge for him to deal with.
Yes, Clarke has all the attributes required to be the next Ipswich Town cult hero.
But let’s not write-off a man who has held that title himself.
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