IPSWICH Town manager Roy Keane is confident the club can hold on to hot property Connor Wickham until the talented striker turns 17 next March.

Elvin King

IPSWICH Town manager Roy Keane is confident the club can hold on to hot property Connor Wickham until the talented striker turns 17 next March.

When he reaches his next birthday, Wickham will be eligible to sign a permanent Blues contract and will be tied to Portman Road.

Town are expected to offer him a four or five-year contract, and if a top Premier League club comes in for his signature after that they will be recompensed with a realistic fee rather than a 'compensation' payment they would receive in the meantime.

“I have already held talks with Connor's father about signing a professional deal when he is 17,” confirmed Keane.

“And I gained the impression from his father that Connor is happy at the club.

“However, big clubs are always going to be interested in talented youngsters.”

Ipswich are walking a tight rope with Wickham.

It is a case of heads they win and heads they lose because if the lad does well it will bolster Town short term, but could well dilute them long term.

Wickham is set to be kept in the background for the next four months to keep him away from the glare of the media.

But Town must be careful to keep him comfortable with the situation as at his age he loves nothing more than playing.

Ipswich's financial situation has been improved with Town director David Sheepshanks confirming this at the recent PLC company annual general meeting held at Portman Road.

Sheepshanks, chairing his 15th Town AGM, revealed that a �1.1million Bank of Scotland debt - used to pay for the land on which the training ground stands, which was inherited by the PLC when the takeover took place - has been paid off in its entirety.