Ipswich Town defender Tyrone Mings will attend the Michael Johnson sprint school again as he ignores Aaron Cresswell exit speculation

Tyrone Mings in action for Ipswich Town Archant

Ipswich Town left-back Tyrone Mings will once again head to St George’s Park to undergo his own early pre-season training this summer.

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The 21-year-old quit his job as a mortgage broker and jumped up five tiers of the football pyramid when Blues boss Mick McCarthy signed him from Wiltshire-based non-league club Chippenham Town in December 2012.

Recognising that he had been in the right place at the right time, the 6ft 4in defender vowed to do everything he could to take his golden chance.

Last summer he paid to take part in a four-day training camp with ‘Michael Johnson Performance’, the four-time Olympic sprinting champion having introduced his successful programme from the US to the newly-opened National Football Centre in Burton.

And with left-back Aaron Cresswell having been linked to a number of Premier League clubs, the man who Southampton let go as a teenager is determined to be in tip-top condition ahead of the squad’s return to training at the start of July.

“A chap that I went to school with is now a football agent and he tipped me off about the MJP programme,” explained Mings. “I looked into the costs (£900) and decided it would be worthwhile ahead of my first pre-season as a professional.

“There was a lot of strength and conditioning, work on sprinting technique over the first 10 to 20 metres, running against resistance, explosive weights in the gym, that sort of thing. The only other footballer on the course was Burnley’s Dave Jones, but this summer there’s going to be dozens.

“I’ll be going back because I want to gain any edge I can heading into next season. I know there has been a lot of speculation about Cresswell, but there was last year as well. I just have to prepare as if the two of us will be coming back to compete for the same position.”

He continued: The manager has been brilliant with me. He’s taken me to one side a few times when he’s maybe seen a slight drop in my motivation levels in training and explained that he has been frustrated that he couldn’t give me more games.

“I spoke to Terry Connor (assistant manager) a few times and he said I have progressed quicker than they had maybe expected and have said they have no doubt I am ready to play at this level.

“I’m young and this is a crucial stage for my development. If Cresswell is still here when the season starts then maybe I will have to go to the manager and ask to get a few games for a month or two on loan. I guess the picture will be clearer at the end of the transfer window. All I can do is give myself the best possible chance to succeed.”