Freddie Sears was delighted to be back in the Ipswich team and on the scoresheet against Leeds United, but had no qualms about having been out of the side in recent weeks.

Sears scored in the ninth minute against the Whites, before Stuart Dallas equalised three minutes before the break, the Championship game ending 1-1.

Sears, replacing the suspended Tom Lawrence, could now keep his place with Lawrence unavailable again for next weekend’s East Anglian derby, and told the club’s website: “Tom’s been our best player, so there’s no qualms there about him playing ahead of me.

“The gaffer threw down the challenge to me, Pits (Brett Pitman) and Kieffer (Moore), but I got the nod so I had to put myself about today.”

He added: “Looking at our February fixtures, you could have asked where the points were going to come from but we’ve had a good week and taken five points, while getting a point against Reading too.

“It’s been a really good month, so touch wood we can finish it off next Sunday [at Norwich] with another good result.”