Ipswich Town are closing in on the signing of highly rated Stevenage midfielder Ryan Doherty, a move that continues the club’s aggressive push to strengthen its academy pipeline
The 17-year-old, who has already made senior appearances in League One and cup competitions, is expected to link up with John McGreal and Chris Casement’s in-form Under-21 squad once the deal is completed.
Doherty’s rise at Stevenage hasn’t been the usual slow, careful drip‑feed you get with most prospects. They basically threw him in and said: “Go on then, let’s see what you’ve got.” And to his credit, he didn’t shrink.
He became their youngest-ever player after getting chucked into an EFL Trophy game at Peterborough, a competition that’s half development, half chaos, and he handled it like someone who’d been around longer than a month.
From there, he kept getting minutes: cup games, league games, the odd cameo where he had to tidy up midfield messes left by older players.
Stevenage’s staff clearly trusted him. They liked his bite, his ability to keep the ball moving, and the fact he doesn’t play like a kid who’s scared of making a mistake.
There’s a bit of steel in him already, which is probably why Ipswich have been circling.
Ipswich’s academy recruitment has shifted gears. It’s no longer about filling squads; it’s about finding players who can actually push the first team in a couple of years.
Doherty fits that mould: tidy on the ball, competitive off it, and already used to the physical side of senior football.
The U21S under John McGreal and Chris Casement aren’t just a holding pen. They play proper football, with tempo and purpose, and they’ve become a proving ground for players who want to make the jump.
Doherty feels like someone who’ll thrive in that environment, not because he’s flashy, but because he’s reliable, busy, and brave enough to take the ball in tight spots.
He’s the sort of midfielder who doesn’t need to be the star to be effective. Ipswich loves that profile.
This isn’t a one‑off. Ipswich have been building something underneath the first team, and Doherty is just the latest piece. The club have already brought in:
It’s a proper mix of Premier League polish, some EFL grit, and some European schooling. The common thread is that they’re all players with a bit of personality in their game. Doherty fits right in: a midfielder who’s already had to scrap for minutes in a senior dressing room.
Once the paperwork’s done, Doherty will drop straight into the U21s, where he’ll be expected to compete, not coast. Ipswich won’t wrap him in cotton wool — they’ll want to see how he handles the pace, the physicality, and the expectation that comes with joining a club on the up.
For Ipswich, it’s another smart, forward‑thinking move. For Doherty, it’s a chance to step into a setup that’s going places. And if he keeps developing the way Stevenage think he will, this could be one of those signings people look back on and say: “Yeah, that was the moment things started to click.”
