By Aston
December 29 2004

Ipswich Town duo Darren Bent and Matt Richards are both set to be offered extended contracts some time in the next month.

Bent & Richards Offered Deals

Ipswich Town duo Darren Bent and Matt Richards are both set to be offered extended contracts some time in the next month.

Bent and Richards both have 18 months left on their current deals but Town fans are united with the board and manager in wanting to keep hold of the youngsters for well beyond that.

Town manager Joe Royle has said: “We will be talking to both of them shortly.

“There is no rush with the older players but it is different with the younger lads.”

Bent hasn’t been able to reproduce his form from earlier in the season in recent games and Royle has thought about dropping the England under 21 striker, adding: “Darren's finishing is terrific in training and if you look at his goal record before the last couple of games it has been good.

“I might have given Dean Bowditch a chance in another game but I was always aware that Benty can win a defensive header and that was always going to be our biggest danger from corners and free-kicks against Stoke.

“He did his stint and almost scored what could have been the goal of the season with a few minutes to go.

“We will persevere with Darren. It is no big deal at the moment, he is not in his best form but he can be clinical and if he gets another one-on-one and just blasts it he will score and be fine again.”

Source: EADT.

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