The Clacton Born youngster was in his first full season for the club, and Royle told the Evening Star just how happy he was with him: “It is a fantastic achievement for a player in his first full season. Ian went in and just got better and better.
“He is a confident, fit young man who relished it. Sometimes young players feel their way in gradually but Ian just took to it and apart from a couple of times when we gave him a rest he has made it hard to leave him out.
"He has done very well and has added goals to his game which he didn't really have in the reserves."