Defender Jack Ainsley has signed a new contract aimed at keeping him at Portman Road until June 2013. The 21-year-old, who says he's likely to go out on loan in January, was offered the new terms last month having impressed manager Paul Jewell during the six-month deal he was handed in the summer.

Academy product Ainsley, an England U17 international striker as a youngster, has made four senior starts and one sub appearance for Town, in addition to loan spells in the Blue Square Premier with Histon and Rushden and Diamonds.

Boss Paul Jewell says the Felixstowe-based player, whose father George and older brother Stuart were both youth players at Town, has fully deserved his new deal: “Jack’s been terrific, he was a bit unlucky to be part of the Peterborough debacle but his attitude is terrific and he’s done really, really well in training and in the reserves.

“I gave him six months to prove himself and he’s earned the right to be offered a new contract.”

Ainsley is pleased to have his future settled: "Obviously I'm delighted to have agreed a new contract.

"The fact that it's for 18 months, which is longer than I have signed before, is a confidence booster. The manager has shown a lot of faith in me and now I want to repay him.

"He has has told me that he'd like to get me out on loan in January so I can play some competitive games and then come back to the club and start pushing for a place in the summer.

"It's down to me now to show the manager that I should be in his plans."

Meanwhile, Premier League Wigan are the latest side to be linked with Doncaster striker Billy Sharp, who Rovers chairman John Ryan has confirmed will be available for £3 million in January.

Photo: Action Images

Tractastic added 21:13 - Dec 20 Give him a chance a right back. .Edwards great going forward but defensively poor so i hope Jack 'a local lad' can kick on now and make this spot his. Seeing what Cresswell has achieved on the left can only inspire him to see what he can achieve. Now PJ please buy at least one decent centre defender in January and a 'hard' defensive midfielder.
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Tractastic added 21:13 - Dec 20 Give him a chance a right back. .Edwards great going forward but defensively poor so i hope Jack 'a local lad' can kick on now and make this spot his. Seeing what Cresswell has achieved on the left can only inspire him to see what he can achieve. Now PJ please buy at least one decent centre defender in January and a 'hard' defensive midfielder.
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Bergholtblue added 21:35 - Dec 20 If he is good enough for an extended contract why send him out on loan? At 21 he reallly ought to be pushing more to be in the reckoning of a regular first team place.
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saffronblue added 22:37 - Dec 20 Bergholt, completly agree at his age he should be pushing Edwards for that RB slot, personally i would give him 10 games in that position to see if he can bed in but I suspect as we have Wabarra who has been a massive disappointment Jewell wants Jack to get some games under his belt elsewhere. Still glad that some of the youth may start pushing through, lets give Murray a go when he gets back from Swindon.

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algarvefan added 23:05 - Dec 20 Look I just feel that all these people moaning, about the general moaning, specific moaning or player moaning is a moan too far. If anyone moaning on here again would think of the negative effect it has on the players, because they will start moaning about the fans moaning, which in itself is another moan too far, so lets stop moaning about other people moaning, have no individual, player or managerial moaning about general moaning and then perhaps we'll all be a bit happier.........End of moan!!!!

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Garv added 01:42 - Dec 21 Keane got rid of Wright and didn't sign Rosenior (look at him now, good player), and just chucked Eastman there, without actually trying to turn him into a full back. I could see from the start of this season Jewell, or whoever had CLEARLY tried training Edwards to be a right back, and to be fair to him he was class during our good run and even now not much gets past him one on one. I've said for ages its just his discipline that is the problem, positioning. As we know too well he's often caught too far inside or upfield. But if Jewell can get him to bloody stay in his position we have a solid full back on our hands. He's quick, and I've lost count of the amount of times I can remember seeing an opposition winger going down their left from my seat in the upper north, and being stopped by Edwards and then him clearing it up the line. If we can sign someone as good then brilliant but it shouldn't be a case of 'go and get any natural right back', even though Edwards isn't one of those, he's had more good games than bad this season. Ainsley would get slaughtered I reckon.

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SomershamBlue added 07:57 - Dec 21 algarvefan - tongue in check, I know - but there do appear to be some people who post on here who actually believe that the club management and players read this stuff! Ho Ho Ho
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casanovacrow added 12:16 - Dec 21 I don't get it, offer someone who he rates so little that he doesn't even put on the bench a 18 month contract.
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Scribble added 13:19 - Dec 21 I don't get all the sympathy about the Peterborough game, too many people saying 'oh he was chucked in at the deep end' come on get real it wasn't Man Utd it was Peterborough and he looked well below par... Let's put this in to perspective he's about the same age as Cresswell and they are miles apart in terms of progress, Cresswell is arguably one of our best performers whereas Jack can't even make the bench. I do agree we need to look for hungry youthful players but they've got to have the talent and be reliable, would any of you really feel comfortable watching Ainsley up against the best players in the league? Also who cares if he is local what's that go to do with it, most of us on here are local does that mean we all deserve contracts? is he really one of the missing pieces of the puzzle for a promotion push? time will tell but I think we know the answer....

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jditfc added 13:33 - Dec 21 Scribble - thanks for your 1st news comment..... Please make that your last zzzzzzzzz
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3_5_2 added 13:44 - Dec 21 Jack is a decent, nice lad and eveything that most profesional footballers are not these days in that he is also modest. I know him and know he wants to play for his local club so much but also knows that he has to work on some aspects of his game. He is potentially a decent RB and if he can go out on loan, get experience and confidence then he might solve that problem area for us. Locally born and from our own youth system, there are not many of those to shout about are there? Give the lad a break!!

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newboy added 16:35 - Dec 21 Will agree nice to see local boy get a deal however he is not and never has been good enough and this is just another poor jewell decision and yes i have seen him play many times over many years including as an academy boy . Stupid to let Eastman and Lavery go and keep Ainsley just confirms what a muppet jewell is
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