There comes a point in every young footballer’s career where they have to make a decision about their future, and this summer will see Cameron Humphreys having to weigh up his options.

The Ipswich Town midfielder turns 21 later this year, and has only mustered 22 league appearances for the Tractor Boys so far in his career, with half of them coming from the substitutes’ bench.

With the Suffolk side still fighting for a place in the Premier League next season, it is starting to look less and less likely that the academy graduate will get a run of games in the first-team squad, with a move away the best thing for his footballing ambitions.

Having seen fellow squad members take a similar route and reap the rewards, an EFL loan in the following campaign could be what the young star needs to boost his confidence and hone his work in the professional game.

Cameron Humphreys Ipswich Town career

Humphreys has been touted as one of the stars to come out of the Ipswich academy for quite some time now, and got his first taste of first-team action back in 2021, when he featured in the League Cup against Newport County as a 17-year-old.

A handful of appearances that season gave him a taste for life in the men’s game, before establishing himself as a solid performer in the Tractor Boys side that waltzed to League One promotion in the previous campaign.

The then-teenager featured 26 times in all competitions for Kieran McKenna’s side last year, netting his first goal for the senior side in a 3-2 victory over Port Vale with a stunning volley from the edge of the penalty area.

Despite his lack of experience, Humphreys took to life in the East Anglian’s midfield with ease, and would regularly catch the eye with his all-action displays in the middle of the park, which landed him a new three-and-a-half-year deal last January.

It has been a different story this season though, with his services rarely being called upon, and if and when he does get the call up to first-team action it is in unknown territory; the left side of defence.

All three of his Championship appearances this season have seen him come in as cover for the formidable Leif Davis in the backline, although for a player with his athleticism and ability he has gone about filling the role admirably.

There was already talk about a move away from the club in January as game time became all the more scarce, but Humphreys has persevered with his boyhood club, as he aims to better himself to stake a claim for a first-team berth.

He said back in January: “The main focus is on improving me, becoming a better player and learning how to deal with myself off the pitch as well.

“The chats between me and the boss have always been very consistent. We’ve always had a very clear plan, and at the minute, that plan is to develop myself, train and play to the best of my ability.”

“I try to play a variety of positions. I’ve played a bit further forward as well as in central midfield, and at left-back.

“The more positions I can play, the better. It helps my understanding of the game and I’m looking to improve in all areas.

“I’m continually trying to develop my skillset. It’s slightly different to playing in central midfield, but I feel the more I play there, the more I can learn off players here.”

Cameron Humphreys can look to Leyton Orient loan star Idris El Mizouni for inspiration ahead of summer decision

For all his desire to perform for the club he loves, the best move for the midfielder this summer could be accepting a temporary move away from the club in order to get more game time.

With age still on his side, Humphreys has plenty of time to develop into the sort of player that everyone in Suffolk believes he can become, and regular football in the third tier can help those dreams become reality.

The 20-year-old only has to look at the wealth of good loan moves have done for fellow Town player Idris El Mizouni, who has become a regular feature for Leyton Orient over the past two seasons.

After spells at Cambridge United and Grimsby Town, the Tunisian helped the O’s earn promotion from League One last season, before featuring prominently for a side who harboured playoff hopes in the third tier until quite recently.

The midfielder [pictured, right] was in a similar position to Humphreys at his age, with game time at Portman Road hard to come by, and has now played over 100 games for a number of clubs, and is thriving in his role at Brisbane Road.

There is no reason why Humphreys can’t follow that path this summer himself, and prove to McKenna and the rest of the Ipswich management team that he is deserving of a place in the side, or even leave Town permanently.

Nothing lasts forever in football, and it may start getting to the point where Humphreys is hampering his own career prospects by staying with his hometown club.

Now would be the perfect opportunity to start thinking about life away from Portman Road.

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