Cameron Humphreys is set to make his 20th appearance of the season at Turf Moor tomorrow night when Town take on Championship leaders Burnley in an FA Cup fourth round replay following the sides’ entertaining 0-0 draw at Portman Road nine days ago.

It has been a season of growth for the talented academy graduate, who came into the current campaign having only previously tasted 117 minutes of first-team action last term — his senior debut in the Carabao Cup against Newport County and then brief substitute outings in the FA Cup against Barrow and, coincidentally, in both League One clashes against Charlton Athletic.

Humphreys is a likely starter against the Clarets as manager Kieran McKenna is expected to make changes after the disappointing 1-1 draw at Cambridge United on Saturday and with one eye, perhaps, on this coming weekend when League One leaders Sheffield Wednesday come to town.

The midfielder said: “I didn’t really set myself any targets in terms of how many first-team appearances I was looking to make this season. I just wanted to contribute where I could, but to get to 20 is a decent number for me and hopefully there will be more to come between now and the end of the season.

“Rather than look at the number of games, I have focused more on the quality of my play when I’ve been on the pitch. It’s still very much a case of looking to improve the level of my performances and doing my best for the team. The number of times I play is just a bonus.”

Another player eager to show what he can do is fellow midfielder Massimo Luongo, the 30-year-old only having had the final 12 minutes, plus stoppage time, in the first game against Burnley, since signing last month following his release by Middlesbrough.

Humphreys said: “I was really impressed with Massimo when he came on to replace Sam Morsy against Burnley. He showed what he’s about and he’s like that in training every day. He helps me a lot and supports the other guys in the team and he’s got his role to play on the pitch.

“He’s got a lot of quality and you might remember the first thing he did against Burnley, which was a big tackle. He won’t shy away from them, while he’s also good on the ball and I’ve really liked training with him. Hopefully, he can get more game time and we might play together in the near future.”

Humphreys regards himself as fortunate to have so many experienced midfielders alongside him in the Blues’ senior squad, with Morsy and Luongo also having the additional benefit of playing at senior international level with Australia and Egypt respectively.

“I’ve been really lucky in that sense,” he admitted. “The group of midfielders that we have at the club are all very different in a lot of ways, but they all have such a great wealth of experience that they are willing to pass on and they really do help me in that way.

“They are always talking to me, whether it’s in training or during a match, or even outside the club. They’re a massive help to me and to learn from players who have leadership skills and are regarded as role models is a privilege for me.”

Should tomorrow night’s replay go to extra time and possibly a penalty shootout — it has to be decided on the night — Humphreys was asked if he would be keen to take a spot-kick and replied: “We haven’t thought too much about extra time and penalties, but if it comes to that when I’m on the pitch it will be all about the moment. I’ve not really been a penalty taker but if I’m needed to step up, I will do it.”

Meanwhile, Humphreys passed on his congratulations to his younger colleagues after they triumphed 2-0 against Liverpool under the Portman Road floodlights on Friday to earn another home tie at the quarter-final stage of the FA Youth Cup against West Ham.

Town’s first-teamers watched the action from their pre-match hotel in Cambridge and Humphreys added: “I know all the players personally, as well as all the coaching staff, and I was really impressed with what I saw. I thought we were probably the better team throughout the game and deserved winners.

“It’s really good to be in the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals and I think some of my best memories of being a scholar were from the same competition, so I’m really pleased for all the boys and the coaches.

“I don’t know much about West Ham or any of the other teams still left in the competition, but I know our own boys and from the quality we have, plus the team spirit they’ve shown so far, I don’t see why they can’t go through again.

“As a club, Ipswich have produced some great players and done well in the FA Youth Cup — they’ve won it three times before — so hopefully this group can also go all the way.

“It has always been an important part of the club, and it has always been emphasised that we want to do as well as we can at youth level, but the main thing is to produce players capable of going on to play first-team football.

“The boys are doing everything they can at the minute — they are playing well in the U18s and also in the U21s when they are given a chance — so I think there’s a very good chance that some will progress like that.”

Humphreys, who was in the U18s side which was defeated 2-1 by the Reds in the semi-final of the competition two years ago, was asked what advice he could offer the players in the team coached by Sam Darlow and replied: “The best advice I could give them is to continue what they are doing.

“They will know there is still a lot of hard work ahead of them and that it’s not going to be easy. They will have to manage their emotions, more than anything else, and stay mentally focused.

“Like I said, they just need to keep working and doing any extra work they can. At the minute they are doing good things and are on the right track, so now it’s about staying on the right track if they want to give themselves the best chance of succeeding.”

Congratulations were also in order for ex-Town skipper Luke Chambers, now captaining Colchester, after he clocked up his 779th career league outing in the U’s 1-1 home draw with Barrow on Saturday, which took him into the top ten all-time appearance makers list headed by former England keeper Peter Shilton on 1,005.

Chambers, 37, is unlikely to top that total but by the end of a season in which he has so far played every second of every league game for Colchester, he could be sitting fifth, an outstanding achievement by a player who made a total of 396 appearances in all competitions — 376 of them in the league — during his nine years at Portman Road.

Humphreys said: “I didn’t see too much of Luke to train with, but from being at the club and seeing him play so many games over the years I know what he was like. He was a very good captain, a real role model for the younger players in the academy, of which I was one.

“His standards around the training ground and the way he was with people all rubbed off on us. He would shake your hand every time he saw you and have a chat, while seeing his influence as a great player on the pitch for Ipswich, and at close quarters, was also good for me. I am very pleased for him.”

Photo: Matchday Images

Suffolkboy added 20:00 - Feb 6 Seems as thoughtful and skilful with words as he is on the pitch ! COYB
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