Loan agreed for Zak Bradshaw

The 18-year-old Englishman is capable of playing as a midfielder and in defence, right across the backline.

Earlier this term, Bradshaw spent time away from the Tractor Boys on loan with Pitching In Isthmian League North Division side Bury Town.

During his short stay on loan with the Blues, Bradshaw made eight first-team appearances under former Claret Ben Chenery.

While the versatile youngster did not feature in the Ipswich Under-18s squad which defeated the Clarets’ Academy 5-0 at the EMG Inspire Stadium during the 2020/21 season, he did feature later in their FA Youth Cup run.

In the young Blues’ 3-1 win against Swindon Town in the fourth round, Bradshaw played the full 90 minutes before being an unused substitute in the round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final.

Speaking on the arrival of the 18-year-old, City Manager Robbie Simpson said: “We’ve been speaking to Ipswich for some time now.

“They obviously had their own Covid issues, but they also had a change in manager at first-team level which put a stop to a couple of irons in the fire with them.

“Then, the new manager’s come in and wanted to have a look at all the players before making decisions on who to send out on loan, so we’ve been biding our time to get this one over the line.

“As soon as Tom Dickens got recalled by Cambridge, we were looking for another left-footed player that can play in defence and can play left-back, but in the case of Zak, he can also play in central midfield.

“He’s a big, physical presence in there and he will certainly provide us with cover and more importantly, competition for places for the lads that have been starting and doing really well.

“The loan adds great value to our squad, and we’re really pleased to get this one over the line.

“He’s a great profile for us and something we’ve been looking for for quite some time, so I’m glad to finally get it over the line.”

A full interview with the Club’s new loanee will follow on ClaretsTV over the coming days.

Welcome to the Clarets, Zak!