IPSWICH skipper Jason De Vos today called for the club's youngsters to grab the golden opportunity that awaits them.The Canada international central defender was his usual dominant self in the three-match, six-day tour last week to Holland and Belgium despite suffering from a slight groin strain.

By Elvin King

IPSWICH skipper Jason De Vos today called for the club's youngsters to grab the golden opportunity that awaits them.

The Canada international central defender was his usual dominant self in the three-match, six-day tour last week to Holland and Belgium despite suffering from a slight groin strain.

But he is aware that any success this season is likely to depend on how the talented kids coming out of the club's famed academy adapt to life in the Championship.

“We will depend on our young players,” said De Vos. “We need two or three to step up a gear and make their presence felt in the first team.

“Shane Supple, Owen Garvan, and to a lesser extent Danny Haynes did it last season. We now want to see others show the same progress.”

De Vos stresses that boys taken on by Ipswich from school are the luckiest around.

He said: “I make a point of telling them every day how fortunate they are.

“I remind them consistently what a golden opportunity they have with the quality of the coaches etc involved with Ipswich Town.

“They will realise when they leave how good a club Ipswich Town is.

“But for now they must work hard and make the most of the chances they have to become top players.”

De Vos, right, looked back on three 1-1 draws on the continent as a worthwhile exercise.

“Performances might not have been what we hoped for, but we are still getting used to the new set-up,” he admitted.

“It was a productive exercise and we must not lose track of the fact that we played against two teams who play in the top divisions of their respective countries and Dordrecht play a slow build-up style that is different to what we will find in the Championship.”