Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy has backed recent signing Leon Best to fill the void created by the departure of star striker Daryl Murphy to Newcastle United (East Anglian Daily Times). The 29-year-old journeyman forward will be hoping to make his Tractor Boys debut against former club Derby County tonight.
Best, who has taken on the number nine shirt vacated by Murphy, recently sealed a move to Portman Road following a successful trial with the club. However McCarthy believes that there is no reason why Best cannot reach the heights that Murphy reached in an Ipswich Town shirt.
Without a club following his release from Rotherham United, Best started the new season without a club before McCarthy came calling. The former Sunderland boss is adamant that the best years of Best are still ahead of him,
“He (Best) could have three really good years, taking him to 33-34. If he does that and scores his goals and plays as well as he can, we will all be delighted to have him.
“Now he is OK, he is fully fit. He has not really had a proper pre-season so we don’t want to give him the old microwave fitness regime and give him a month’s training a week, because he will get injured. But we will get him doing his bits and he will be good.
“There’s lots to work with. And there is that thing where, if you have been at the top and your career just keeps spiralling for whatever reason, there’s got to be an end point to that.”
On the back of their heart-breaking defeat at Reading on Friday night, McCarthy will be desperate for his side to get back to winning ways at the iPro Stadium tonight. Nigel Pearson’s Rams have struggled this season so far, managing to score only one league goal in six outings.
