Tom Ince must keep learning and keep scoring to reach the Premier League, say former managers
Monday 25 January 2016 08:59, UK
Championship promotion-chasers Burnley and Derby meet live on Sky Sports on Monday. A key figure will be the visitors' Tom Ince - an expensive summer signing beginning to fulfil his potential under Paul Clement.
Here, we talk to two of his former managers about his development and whether he can inspire his club to the Premier League…
One man who has tapped into the mind of Tom Ince at close quarters is his former manager at Blackpool Ian Holloway.
Ince, nurtured at Liverpool and snapped up aged 19 by the Seasiders when his contract expired, flourished in bright orange.
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The more games he played, the higher his valuation grew. Opportunities arose to move to the Premier League, there was even talk of a return to Anfield. A move back to the top level never materialised but Ince's development was rapid.
"In terms of taking on information, wanting to learn and using it in practice, he was one of the quickest I've ever worked with," Holloway said.
"That's a credit to himself. He's hungry for knowledge and has the ability to apply it - but he's got to be in the right environment.
"He scored two in a game at Millwall once and he was absolutely sensational - he was the difference between the teams. The timing of his movement and the area at which he moved into without the ball was fantastic to watch. When he's on-song he's an unreal footballer."
When pressing Holloway about Ince, the word 'frustration' crops up on many occasions. Holloway insists Ince was a "joy to work with" and calls his development under him "a little feather in his cap". But the player's ambition meant he was always striving for more.
"I think it's the pressure of what he wants to do," Holloway said.
"He's just got to relax and realise how good he actually is. That's the frustrating thing I've found with a lot of young people, they want things yesterday.
He's just got to relax and realise how good he actually is.
"They want to learn everything quickly and when they don't get it, they judge themselves.
"He might think that 'I could have gone there, I've could have played there' - he had a tendency to be a little bit frustrated because of the pressure he puts on himself to be as good as he wants to be, which is a top, top, player.
"The ability he's got - his finishing levels and mobility, especially - are right up there. All he's got to do is lock that in with the right mentality. I'm sure he'll get there in the end as all this is a learning curve for him.
"I would suggest he should stop worrying about all of those things. Enjoy who he is, where he is, how well he's doing right now."
After a stuttering spell with Hull, it seems Ince has found a home at Derby County.
Since joining on a permanent deal in the summer, following a fruitful loan spell last season, Ince has become one of Paul Clement's go-to-guys for on-the-pitch inspiration.
In 24 league appearances this season, he's scored eight goals, including his first career hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Bristol City in December.
For gifted, attack-minded players like Ince, he'll go through his career getting judged on how many goals he's scoring rather than his overall effect on the team. It's par for the course when a club pays over £4m for your services in the Championship.
It's a theory shared by Stuart Pearce, who managed Ince at both England U21 level and Nottingham Forest during a short loan spell.
"If Tom is going to play a whole season in the Championship, then you're hoping he'll chip in with at least 10 goals," he said.
"Derby paid a lot of money for him. I think it's a great opportunity for him to get promoted into the Premier League with Derby - if he can get at least 10 goals, a few more assists and win promotion, then that's a fantastic season for Tom.
"He should concentrate on building up a CV like Frank Lampard, who would consistently score at a ratio of about one in three - that's what you're looking for when recruiting players."
One goal in three? Ince is ahead of schedule to achieve that this season. Just as he's been ahead of schedule through much of his development. The challenge now is to continue to deliver in this present season and progress to the next level with Derby.
Watch Burnley v Derby live on Sky Sports 1 HD at 7.30pm on Monday
