IT'S getting there.The unmistakable face of Ipswich Town legend Bobby Robson are clearly emerging in these latest photographs of his developing statue.

IT'S getting there.

The unmistakable face of Ipswich Town legend Bobby Robson are clearly emerging in these latest photographs of his developing statue.

Although it is already obvious that the statue is of Robson, the sculptor behind the work - who also created the statue of Sir Alf Ramsey in Sir Alf Ramsey Way - said it is far from being complete.

Former Westbourne High School pupil Sean Hedges Quinn, also known as "Coach", said that the statue should be finished by December but there is still plenty to do before then.

He said: "It's going pretty well at the moment but it's still in the preliminary stages.

"The head has only had about ten or 15 hours so that will probably need 50 or 60 hours more work. The body is pretty much done."

When complete the statue will stand near the current Sir Alf Ramsey sculpture, which was also produced by Mr Hedges Quinn.

So far Mr Robson is without clothes, but the finished work will see him sporting the tracksuit he wore when Ipswich Town one the FA Cup in 1978.

Mr Hedges Quinn explained that sculpting the clothes after the body is finished, is a common technique that the Romans and Greeks used and is still used today.

He said: "It's very difficult to sculpt clothes without knowing what's underneath. This way is a general rule of how to get the best look."

He added that he is working on the statue with Stan Mitchell, who previously worked at Madame Tussauds for more than 20 years.

The precise unveiling date is not yet known but it is believed it is likely to happen in about a year's time. For the man behind the amazing work the date can't come soon enough.

He went on: "I'm looking forward to meeting Bobby Robson again and watching him unveil it.

"He will see it before then and there is no way we would unveil it unless he was 100 per cent happy."

There will be one thing missing on the statue, Mr Hedges Quinn has left a small gap in front of the words Bobby Robson, so "Sir" can be inscribed at a later date.

"I am hoping the unveiling can correspond with that. He should be knighted, without a shadow of a doubt, he's a legend.

"He is respected around the world for what he has done at Ipswich, England, PSV and everywhere else.

"It would be nice to think that the statue could help get him knighted by raising public awareness, I hope it can do that."

As work continues in a studio near London, the 33-year-old sculptor is looking forward to returning to Suffolk.

He is moving back to the county to start his own business, People of Stature, and hopes to continue making many more sculptures.

He added: "It would be nice to do George Burley one day but he'll have to win something first. If he wins the UEFA Cup this year, you never know."