Ipswich Town: George Hirst on fight for places in starting XI

Kieran McKenna's men were boosted by 12 new faces over the summer, which has seen the starting XI overhauled from last season's promotion-winning team.

As you'd expect, the battle for playing time is fierce, but Hirst - who's largely been relegated to a back-up role behind in-form summer signing Liam Delap - says it's a healthy environment.

George Hirst says the competition for places is healthy at Town (Image: Ross Halls) “I think we’ve got a really good changing room in that sense," he explained, when asked about the competition for playing time.

"No matter who’s playing and who’s not, we don’t have any sulkers or any toxic players in the group.

“We have a team of boys that understand if you’re doing the right things, you’re going to get your chance.

READ MORE: 'If you don't like it, you need to change' - Hirst on protecting Town's culture

“Of course lads are disappointed when they don’t play, and you wouldn’t expect anything less, everybody wants to play.

“But for me I think it’s very healthy. It keeps you sharp, it keeps you switched on and you know you can’t rest even for a day because that one day that you do rest and don’t train as well as you possibly could, that might be the day that the gaffer is picking the team in his head and you’ve just played your way out of it.

“So I think we’ve got a great squad for that and long may it continue.”

Kieran McKenna added 12 new faces to his promotion-winning side over the summer (Image: PA) Hirst and the Blues return to action after the international break by hosting Manchester United - with new boss Ruben Amorim at the helm for the first time - at 4.30pm on Sunday afternoon.