Dara O’Shea hails ‘unbelievable’ Ipswich Town signing while Ashley Young stuns him

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Dara O’Shea will captain Ipswich Town for the first time against Birmingham City in Friday’s Championship curtain raiser at St Andrews.

But the man who inherited the armband following the emotional departure of Portman Road hero Sam Morsy is not the only one with big shoes to fill in Kieran McKenna’s squad.

While the Ipswich faithful were delighted to see Dara O’Shea given the captaincy, the departure of Morsy – who skippered the Tractor Boys back to the Premier League in 2024 – creates a massive void on and off the pitch.

Ipswich Town lost Axel Tuanzebe to Burnley too, while Cameron Burgess joins Championship rivals Swansea City. As a result, two players O’Shea got to know well at the heart of McKenna’s backline are no longer around.

The new captain is confident that a couple of new faces can step into the respective shoes of Tuanzebe and Burgess, however. Ipswich denied Watford an emotional Ashley Young reunion, while former Wigan Athletic and West Brom centre-back Cedric Kipre returns to England’s second tier on loan from Stade de Reims.

Dara O’Shea delighted with Ipswich Town newbies Ashley Young and Cedric Kipre

Eyebrows were raised when a now-40-year-old Ashley Young linked up with his former Manchester United coach McKenna in East Anglia.

Having played 32 Premier League matches for Everton just last season, however, O’Shea is at pains to point out that the ironically-named Young is no ordinary quadragenarian

“He was obviously a signing we were all really happy to see come in. His career speaks for itself,” the new skipper tells TWTD of a Premier League, Serie A, Europa League, FA Cup and EFL Cup champion.

“We all couldn’t believe his age and how he moved, it doesn’t really correlate. To be 40 years old and be still able to do what he does is amazing and it’s a credit to him.

“He’s going to bring so much knowledge and experience at times, it’s something we’re going to have to buy into.”

Ipswich captain calls Cedric Kipre an ‘unbelievable’ talent

Young featured mostly as a full-back during his two years at Everton. He may be tasked with stepping in for Tuanzebe on the right-hand side, then.

As for Kipre, his ‘quality on the ball’ should aid an Ipswich side who like to dominate possession under McKenna.

“Ceddy’s very laid back,” O’Shea adds of a man who will compete with Jacob Greaves for a place alongside the captain at centre-half. “Very relaxed and that’s something you kind of need as you have the opposite in some other people.

“As a player, he’s unbelievable. He’s really strong, really quick and his quality on the ball will show so many times this season.

“He’s a great guy as well and having good people in this changing room is massive. That’s almost our super-strength at times, how close [we are] and how much the people are really good human beings in this club. To add more good people into it is really positive.

“It’s quite funny the amount of West Brom boys because [goalkeeper] David Button came in as well. We’ve taken most of the back unit I think from West Brom!”

Ipswich Town have not won away at Birmingham in 12 years. A dismal record McKenna will be aiming to snap as the Championship’s pre-season title favourites look to burst out of the blocks against an ambitious Blues outfit who may yet be dark horses for promotion themselves.