Liverpool FC Forum

[spiralstairs00]

fansfc are reporting that Benitez plans to sign Ipswich player Dean Bowditch, who is regarded as the best player outside the priemier league.

[JBG]

I'd say Andy Reid of Notts Forest has more claim to that accolade than Bowditch, although I have only seen highlights of Bowditch play.

[ckay]

I heard a bit of this on sky. He's only had 6 starts and 1 goal.
I agree that either Ried or Dawson or the best players outside the Premiership.

[ckay]

Bowditch is Young Lion
By Alex Stone.
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Things don’t get much better than scoring a hat-trick on your full first team home debut, a feat performed by Ipswich Town’s Dean Bowditch this weekend.

Despite strong competition from Crystal Palace’s U19 winger Wayne Routledge and fellow U18 squad member Jonathan Forte at Sheffield United, there was no doubt about the winner of this week’s Young Lion of the Weekend. Bowditch put on a display of maturity that belied his 17 years and 9 months, keeping the Tractor Boys well in the First Division promotion chase after a 4-1 win against Watford.

After having previously scored once in his first-team career, England U18 international Bowditch was selected to partner England Under 21 striker Darren Bent in attack, with Joe Royle, the Ipswich manager being rewarded within five minutes.

Sean Dyche’s pass back to Lenny Pidgeley in the Watford goal saw the former Young Lion of the Weekend take a wild swipe at the ball. Unfortunately for him, but to the delight of Bowditch - who had cleverly closed down the angle -, the ball bobbled off Pidgeley’s standing leg, leaving the simplest of tap-ins to open the scoring.

If his first goal was fortuitous, his second displayed a range of skills that had the Sky Sports commentators, and spectators drooling over an exciting young talent.

Dropping deep, an attempted pass to Darren Bent was intercepted, but sensing that Bent had recovered possession, he took a flighted return through ball calmly and expertly on his chest, before coolly dinking the ball past Pidgeley for number two.

His third again had an element of good fortune as Jerel Ifil and Pidgeley contrived to leave the ball to each other, allowing Bowditch to nip in and roll the ball into an empty net.

Whilst some players may have thought their job was done, Bowditch still found the energy and intelligence to pick out Jermaine Wright for Ipswich’s fourth, gaining high praise from his Manager.

"We’ve tried to shelter Dean, but the secret is out", said Joe Royle. "We know what Dean can do, it’s just been a case of bringing the lad in at thr right time.

"People who have followed the Academy and reserves will know the talent that Dean has got. He has a clever knack of working the space between the midfield and the opposition back four.

"I was obviously delighted to see the lad score his three goals, but it’s his all-round play that pleased me as much as anything else."

Bowditch’s performance also delighted England Under 18 Head Coach Martin Hunter, ahead of the international friendly against Belgium on 31 March.

"Dean first came into the Team England set-up in October 2001 at the age of 15, and it was clear that he was an exciting prospect," he told TheFA.com.

"As with all young players, it was clear that he had to work on areas of his game, and that the mental, as well as the physical preparations would play an important part of his development.

"This season Dean has really broken into the first team squad at Ipswich and is highly thought of by Joe Royle, where the club are nurturing his talent and bringing him on. His exploits on Saturday were not unexpected by those who have worked with Dean, but now he will have new challenges in front of him, as defenders will certainly be more aware of the danger he can cause.

"I am looking forward to linking up with him again in a week’s time, where Dean will be then be part of the squad beginning its preparations for next years UEFA Under-19 European Championships, where all the players, like Dean, then have the potential to compete and progress through the age groups."

[madred]

If all this talk is true can you imagine the problems that big fat head will create for us seeing as he hates us so much.