Burnley
Blackburn Rovers
Coventry City
Derby County
Leeds United
Luton Town
Middlesbrough
Millwall
Norwich City
Portsmouth
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield United
QPR
Ipswich Town were by no means at their best on Friday evening in their Championship opener away to Birmingham City, as they were held to a 1-1 draw.
George Hirst rifled in a penalty in the 95th minute to deny Blues all three points on their return to the second tier, with Jay Stansfield handing the hosts the lead in the second-half.
Nevertheless, attention now turns to the Carabao Cup for Kieran McKenna as his side travel to League Two outfit Bromley in the first round.
Ipswich will most likely play with a heavily rotated squad at Hayes Lane on Tuesday evening, but for one summer signing, Friday was a record-breaking day.
- READ MORE – QPR target ‘fantastic’ Sheffield United star who could want exit after moment in loss vs Bristol City
Ashley Young set a unique Championship record for Ipswich Town on Friday
The Tractor Boys beat Watford to the signing of Ashley Young in July, with the versatile veteran opting for a new challenge instead of returning to the club where he started his career.
However, the 40-year-old played his final game in the EFL for the Hornets back in 2006. He played all 90 minutes of the Hertfordshire outfit’s 3-0 Championship play-off final victory over Leeds United.
He registered an assist in that game, and then 19 years and 79 days later, he returned to the second tier for Ipswich against Birmingham.
He came off the bench at St. Andrew’s for the final 22 minutes of the clash, setting the record for the longest time between appearances in the Championship.
- READ MORE – Football financier who tried to purchase Everton joins John Textor in Sheffield Wednesday rescue attempt
Ashley Young’s experience will be crucial for the Tractor Boys
It’s been an odd summer transfer window for Ipswich, with the £30m sale of Liam Delap to Chelsea dominating the headlines.
However, Chuba Akpom has come in to replace the striker, while McKenna has been able to keep hold of his key players despite relegation from the Premier League.
Young, while not able to offer his services on as frequent a basis as he would have been able to a few years ago, will provide ample experience and cover across multiple positions.
Ipswich may take a little bit of time to build their momentum, but the challenge of facing Birmingham at St. Andrew’s has already been dealt with and victory against Bromley on Tuesday will only breed confidence in to McKenna’s side.