Ipswich Town defender Jacob Greaves ‘enjoying’ left-back role in absence of Leif Davis and Conor Townsend

Due to a recent suspension to Leif Davis and hamstring injury for Conor Townsend, Ipswich Town have been hit with a shortage of players available to play at left-back.

As a result, central defender Jacob Greaves has been required to cover at full-back for the last three matches against Arsenal, Newcastle United and Everton.

The position is not alien to Greaves, who has previously played at left-back for Hull City, although the role in Kieran McKenna’s Blues side is, by his own admission, somewhat different to that of the Tigers.

However, Greaves has admitted it is a position that he has found some enjoyment in.

“Two of them games were with 10-men against Arsenal and Newcastle, probably the most free-flowing attacking teams in the league,” said Greaves, who will be up against one of his best friends when Town host Brentford this afternoon.

“I’ve enjoyed it, to be honest. It’s different to what I’ve been used to this season with Ipswich.

“I’ve done it before at Hull, 20 or 30 games I played out at full-back. They can be different systems in the way this gaffer plays to what I was used to at full-back anyway, but it’s something I’ve enjoyed.

“I enjoy stepping with the ball anyway, I like to drive forward and try and make things happen and I’ve had a little bit of an opportunity to do that since playing at left-back so hopefully I can do that again.

“You look at Arsenal and (Manchester) City, they’ve done it with big centre-halves playing at full-back.

“It sometimes looks a little bit unconventional but, especially away from home, if we’re defending against long balls it can suit us there and defending long goal kicks I suppose it suits us as well.

“There’s benefits to it and there’s probably disadvantages to it as well, it’s just about trying to find a balance and cover to the best of your abilities.”

Asked whether he has any individual targets for the last three games of the season, Greaves said: “I’m not really too much of a goal setter, just to play as many games as I could in the next three games. Just try to be a real positive influence around the place, help the boys, and when I do play try and give absolutely everything and try and have some good performances.

“Give however many performances towards the end of this season so I can build on it to next season and go in there knowing that I’m on the back of some good games.”

Despite relegation back to the Championship already being confirmed, Greaves dismissed suggestions that the Blues have nothing to play for in the final weeks of the campaign.

With this weekend’s visitors Brentford chasing European football for the first time in their history, the Town defender knows they have the opportunity to spoil the party.

“One hundred per cent,” he enthused. “The gaffer mentioned that today, he said he’d rather Brentford be coming here fighting for Europe and giving absolutely everything to get in there than playing them if they were 16th and had nothing to play for.

“That will be a proper game, we know that they’re going to be fighting for absolutely everything. We’d rather that and the fans have that as well.

“No matter who we’re playing now, we’ve got a bit of self-pride on the line to try and accumulate as many points as we can.

“We know most points in this league can’t be taken for granted so for the next three games we’re going to try and put as good a shift in as we can and hopefully pick up some good results.”