Price Staying At Portman Road

Last updated : 16 December 2005 By Russell Claydon
21 year old Price is in his first full season of senior football, after replacing Kelvin Davis. He has been in impressive form since August and this lead to his link with Wigan this week.

However, speaking to The East Anglian Daily Times, Price refuted claims that he is about to leave Portman Road: “It is nice to know about interest from Premiership clubs but I'm not taking anything for granted or thinking about moving to Wigan or anything like that.

“I'm concentrating on my job here and trying to do my best for Ipswich and help them move back up the table.”

“I was happy to sign a new contract. I love the club I'm settled into the area and bought a new house so I'm happy here,” he said.

Price signed a new contract last month, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2008 and recently won his first full international cap for Wales against Cyprus.

The regular first-team football at Ipswich is one of the reasons that Price is not thinking about a move. He feels his international place could be in jepoardy if he was to move: “If I went to a Premiership club now as a No. 2 it would probably hurt my chances of playing for Wales because I would be like all the other keepers sitting on the bench for their clubs and that is no good for me.

“I want to be play for Wales and being involved in tournaments and carry on learning by getting those games under my belt.”

“The thing with Wales is that playing week-in and week-out has helped me enormously to make my debut. With Danny (Coyne) out injured and Jonah (Paul Jones) hardly playing at all it has helped me.

“Now I am in there it is up to me to stamp my authority and try and claim the No. 1 spot. But I still have a way to go, so we will have to see.

Far from getting carried away, all the young Welsh goalkeeper is concentrating on now is the trip to Hillsborough this weekend, something he is particularly looking forward to:

“Wednesday look strong when I see them on television and are a better team than their position would suggest.

“It will be fabulous to go to such a stadium with a rich history and hopefully play well and get those three points and a clean sheet.”