Ipswich Town: The players who earned Premier League promotion (2024)
Ipswich Town have not been in England’s top flight since 2002, with the Tractor Boys becoming Championship regulars over the last two decades.
Things hit a new low in 2019 when they sank to the third tier for the first time in nearly 30 years. Paul Lambert’s side finished rock bottom of the Championship and spent four years in League One before Kieran McKenna took them up in his first full season at the helm.
And rather than focus on consolidating their second-tier status like Plymouth Argyle, who beat them to the League One title last year, Ipswich sought even bigger dreams, with the team securing a return to the Premier League after defeating Huddersfield Town on the final day of the Championship season.
It has been a remarkable campaign from all those involved at Portman Road. But who are the players that have taken the Tractor Boys this far, and who could shine for them in the Premier League next season?
Football FanCast takes a look at their current squad to have featured in at least one game, ranked by their Championship goal involvement during the 2023/24 season, with the help of stats from WhoScored.
|
Ipswich Town players: 2023/24 Championship |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Joined club |
Apps |
Goals |
Assists |
|
Conor Chaplin |
Jul 2021 |
44 |
13 |
8 |
|
Leif Davis |
Jul 2022 |
43 |
2 |
18 |
|
Nathan Broadhead |
Jan 2023 |
38 |
13 |
3 |
|
Omari Hutchinson |
Jul 2023 |
44 |
10 |
5 |
|
George Hirst |
Jul 2023 |
26 |
7 |
6 |
|
Wes Burns |
Jul 2021 |
35 |
6 |
4 |
|
Sam Morsy |
Aug 2021 |
42 |
3 |
6 |
|
Kieffer Moore |
Feb 2024 |
18 |
7 |
1 |
|
Kayden Jackson |
Aug 2018 |
29 |
3 |
3 |
|
Marcus Harness |
Jul 2022 |
34 |
4 |
1 |
|
Jeremy Sarmiento |
Jan 2024 |
20 |
3 |
1 |
|
Ali Al-Hamadi |
Jan 2024 |
14 |
4 |
0 |
|
Massimo Luongo |
Jan 2023 |
43 |
3 |
0 |
|
Jack Taylor |
Jul 2023 |
33 |
2 |
1 |
|
Cameron Burgess |
Aug 2021 |
39 |
2 |
1 |
|
Luke Woolfenden |
Jul 2017 |
41 |
1 |
1 |
|
Harry Clarke |
Jan 2023 |
35 |
1 |
1 |
|
George Edmundson |
Jul 2021 |
10 |
0 |
2 |
|
Brandon Williams |
Aug 2023 |
15 |
2 |
0 |
|
Axel Tuanzebe |
Sep 2023 |
18 |
0 |
1 |
|
Cameron Humphreys |
Jul 2022 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
|
Vaclav Hladky |
Jul 2021 |
46 |
0 |
0 |
|
Lewis Travis |
Jan 2024 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
|
Janoi Donacien |
Jan 2019 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Dominic Ball |
Jul 2022 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
|
Gerrard Buabo |
Jul 2021 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sone Aluko |
Aug 2021 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Christian Walton |
Jan 2022 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
All data correct as of 5th May 2024.
Christian Walton
Goalkeeper
Christian Walton was gifted the last few moments of Ipswich's promotion campaign, having spent the league season looking on from the subs' bench after recovering from injury early on. He can now say he played his part on the pitch, though whether he can truly claim to have gone the whole year without conceding might take some convincing.
Sone Aluko
Forward
Sone Aluko is one of Ipswich’s more experienced players, and although he played a minimal part in their promotion push with just one league appearance off the bench, he remains an important figure for the team off the pitch.
He also scored in the Tractor Boys’ EFL Cup victory over Bristol Rovers back in August.
Gerrard Buabo
Forward
With just three Championship minutes to his name this term, Gerrard Buabo has been firmly on the fringes of the first team in recent months. But given he was also handed runouts in Ipswich’s FA Cup run, the 18-year-old could yet be in McKenna’s long-term plans.
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Dominic Ball
Midfielder
Dominic Ball found minutes hard to come by this season, but remains a trusted member of the squad after helping the club to promotion from League One.
Ball has struggled with injuries which have restricted his time in Ipswich colours, though he is an experienced player at this level, having previously turned out for QPR and Rotherham United, as well as Rangers when the Scottish giants were in the Championship.
Janoi Donacien
Defender
St Lucia international Janoi Donacien is another who has been unlucky with injury, as a groin problem has severely derailed his campaign, having been a mainstay as Ipswich won promotion from League One. He started each of Ipswich’s opening three games but has not featured for the first team since November.
Lewis Travis
Midfielder
Lewis Travis became a useful option for McKenna’s side since joining on loan in January from Championship rivals Blackburn Rovers.
Yet to lose in Ipswich colours, Travis’ highlight arguably came on his debut when his defence-splitting pass helped Kayden Jackson to score a vital equaliser in their comeback win over Sunderland.
Vaclav Hladky
Goalkeeper
Vaclav Hladky clocked up more minutes under his belt than any other Ipswich player, with the Czech shot-stopper playing all bar the final seconds of their final-day victory.
A vital component of the team’s success this year, Hladky is also no stranger to a yellow card – he picked up three in Ipswich’s opening six games. However, he has also been impressive in penalty shootouts at his previous clubs, so could be worth considering as a budget goalkeeper in next season’s Fantasy League.
Cameron Humphreys
Midfielder
Cameron Humphreys became a key player in last year’s promotion run, but had to be patient for opportunities this term, having mainly featured in Ipswich’s cup fixtures.
Humphreys’ best moment in his limited Championship minutes this year came in the dramatic 2-2 draw at Birmingham City in November, when he kept Omari Hutchinson’s cross alive before Marcus Harness superbly volleyed home.
Axel Tuanzebe
Defender
Axel Tuanzebe made his name at Manchester United, and via loan spells in the Championship and Italy’s Serie A, the DR Congo defender joined Ipswich’s promotion push after finding himself without a club in the summer.
His versatility has come to the fore in more recent months, with the defender filling in at right-back in 12 of Ipswich’s last 14 games, of which they lost just one.
Brandon Williams
Defender
Another talent from Man Utd’s production line is Brandon Williams, who has spent the current season on loan at Portman Road. Unfortunately for the 23-year-old, he has suffered multiple injury setbacks this term.
He had started the season in impressive fashion, too, having grabbed an important equaliser at Huddersfield Town before scoring again in Ipswich’s win over Preston in October, all while ending on the winning side in eight of his first ten matches.
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