Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town impressed Football League fanatics up and down the country last season, when they achieved the previously unfathomable feat of back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League.
The Tractor Boys were delighted to have earned automatic promotion to the Championship at the end of the 2022/23 League One season, following an unwanted four-year stint in the third tier.
Key to their success was ambitious left-back Leif Davis, who recorded an incredible 32 assists across Ipswich’s two promotion-winning campaigns.
Ipswich’s second promotion in two years
Upon promotion back to the Championship, McKenna’s first aim would have been to endure a comfortable campaign during what was his first season at second tier level.
But what unfolded was simply incredible, as the Tractor Boys landed a second place spot in the Championship just 12 months after finishing second in League One.
Remarkably, in just two seasons, the Suffolk outfit returned a whopping tally of 194 points, enough to see them competing in the Premier League just two years on from embarking on a League One campaign.
One player who held the key to the Tractor Boys’ back-to-back promotions was left-back Leif Davis, who held a key to the Tractor Boys’ back-to-back promotions, creating 14 assists during the 2022/23 third tier campaign, before providing an even more impressive return of 18 during the 2023/24 Championship season.
Tractor Boys could make millions from Davis
The men from Portman Road signed Davis from Leeds United for a transfer fee in the region of £1m, as reported by the East Anglian Daily Times, back in the summer of 2022.
The left-back, who never enjoyed much game-time at Elland Road, was sent on loan to Bournemouth, then of the Championship, during the 2021/22 season.
He has since proven to be an absolute bargain for the Tractor Boys, establishing a reputation as a prolific assist-maker in both League One and the Championship, while also proving solid defensively.
According to FotMob, Davis won 75% of tackles he attempted in the second tier last campaign, as well as winning 56.7% of all duels he faced, which shows he is also an asset towards his side’s defensive efforts while also producing eyebrow-raising numbers in terms of goal contributions.
| Leif Davis 2023/24 Championship stats, as per FotMob | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 43 |
| Starts | 43 |
| Tackles won | 57 |
| Duels won | 174 |
| Aerial duels won | 44 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 18 |
Meanwhile, during just his third Premier League outing for the Tractor Boys, the former Leeds defender provided an assist for forward Liam Delap as McKenna’s men drew 1-1 with Fulham.
If Davis can continue his assist-making exploits in the top-flight, then it is surely only a matter of time until the Suffolk outfit will be able to heavily cash in on his services.
The left-back cannot be blamed for failing to provide a goal contribution during the Tractor Boys’ tricky opening outings against Liverpool and Manchester City, while his performance against Fulham was more indicative of what he can do.
Back in February, TalkSport revealed that both Newcastle United and West Ham United were keeping tabs on Davis, and such interest will surely see the Suffolk side turn over a big profit during the months or years to come.
Given that the Tractor Boys signed Davis for just £1m, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that they can eventually sell him for more than ten times the amount they bought the ace for.
Ipswich’s back-to-back exploits will prove tough to emulate
The Tractor Boys’ feat of achieving back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League was so highly talked about, because such an occurrence is a rarity.
The last team to earn consecutive promotions from the third tier to the top-flight prior to McKenna’s men was Southampton, who landed in the Premier League in 2012.
While almost every EFL side shares the same common goal of one day finding their route into the promised land of the Premier League, it will likely take at least another decade for us to see Ipswich’s feat replicated.
The fact their achievement was built on shrewd £1m signings like Davis, who has been developed into one of the country’s most exciting domestic left-backs by McKenna, only underlines how impressive the last 24 months have been.
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