Omari Hutchinson interview: Ipswich form, debuting against Man City & praise from Pele

From making his senior debut against Manchester City, to being praised for his skills as a youngster by none other than Pele, Omari Hutchinson has experienced a lot already.

Just 20, the winger is making quite the impression on loan at Ipswich Town this season, his first in the men's game, but we start by reflecting back on last January.

"I wasn't really expecting it, to be honest," Hutchinson tells Sky Sports. On January 5, 2023, he was thrust into the final 20-odd minutes of a Premier League game against Manchester City by then-Chelsea boss Graham Potter.

"I thought I was going to make my debut against another team! My family were in the crowd and to see the likes of Haaland, De Bruyne and Grealish on the pitch - it was a great experience, and a bit surreal.

"I think my nerves got the best of me, but if you look at my development now from that game as well, I think if I stepped onto that pitch now against Man City, I would do a lot better."

There is no doubting that Hutchinson has come on leaps and bounds at Ipswich as they fly high in the Championship. Skill, flair and pace and a rapidly-developing end product, all under the tutelage of Kieran McKenna.

He has even seen the development within himself.

"I didn't know how it was going to pan out, but I'm really enjoying myself here," Hutchinson says. "The staff members, the players here, it's like a family.

"I was just in that 21s-type mode when I first got here. I'm learning all the time. My game awareness, my defensive side, my attacking side. And how to recover. Eating, sleeping right.

"From when I first joined to now, I think I've made a huge improvement. I was just doing one game a week, now it can be three sometimes."

It has been a real step up in intensity. But he has been