‘Also Tells Me’ – Ex-Winger Sees Derby Profiting From Loaning Ipswich Star | OneFootball

Julian Finney/Getty Images

Former EFL winger Adrian Clarke is sure that Ipswich Town loanee Sammie Szmodics will be desperate show his quality at Derby County spell under John Eustace and show the Tractor Boys what they have let go.

The Irish forward came through the lower leagues of English football and attracted genuine interest during his spell at Peterborough United, where he contributed 40 goals in 96 games.

Prior to his time at Posh, he joined Bristol City, with the Robins seeing off Leeds United to land him, while Derby were also keen.

Championship side Blackburn Rovers snapped up Szmodics from Posh and he kept scoring at the club regularly, as he scored 43 goals in 91 games for the Rovers.

Leeds United held on to their interest but in the summer of 2024, Ipswich Town paid £9m for the versatile Ireland attacker when they were in the Premier League.

Szmodics’ time at the Tractor Boys has been turbulent, as he has featured in 39 games for them and has been used as an impact substitute by Kieran McKenna.

Derby lured him on loan from Portman Road for regular game time for the rest of the campaign, snapping him up on winter transfer deadline day.

Clarke pointed out that he likes how hungry Szmodics is to play regularly and how he wants to be a central part of a project.

He is clear that the experienced forward will be highly motivated to show his quality to his parent club, stressing that he had a good time under Eustace at Blackburn.

“He [McKenna] basically said that he needs him out of the building, for the spirit of the team”, Clarke said on What The EFL (24:30), discussing Szmodics’ deadline day move to Derby.

“Now that tells me that he is not a very good sub; he is not a guy that is happy to be on the periphery of the squad, and there is nothing wrong with that.

“If I were Sammie Szmodics, I wouldn’t be happy to be left out on a regular basis either.

“So, yes, that kind of makes sense.

“But this also tells me that he is a hungry player, and someone who will be very, very determined to remind Ipswich and everybody else, how good he is.

“He has got a good track record with John Eustace, we know that from their time at Blackburn.

“So, he will come in, play at 10 or in and around [Patrick] Agyemang, and then I would imagine Bobby Clark will drop into a slightly deeper role for the suspended Lewis Travis.”

The Rams made some big changes in the winter window, and they will hope to see Szmodics help fire them towards the playoff spots.

Now 30 years old, it remains to be seen if McKenna would want Szmodics back at Portman Road if he can guide Ipswich back up to the Premier League this season.

In the eventuality he is made available to leave, Szmodics will have another reason to shine at brightly as possible at Derby.