For Slicker, it was an easy call. “The club putting their trust in me and committing

to my future is a real positive for me and now I’m buzzing with it, delighted,” he enthused.

“I know I’ve only been here for a year, but between the connections I’ve made

and the atmosphere here, it already feels a lot like home.

“It does, it feels like a real family,” Wes Burns (who recently signed a new contract)

may have mentioned in an interview.

 

“I’m excited to be involved in it, to carry on from last year’s work,”

“Everyone has been amazing with me since I walked into the club,” he said.

It’s a place of true development, in my opinion.

“It’s a really big step from where I was walking into the club last year to where I am today.

I think I’ve progressed a lot, and I want to keep developing on this upward trajectory.

 

“I love this place, but I know it will take a lot of hard work to get where

I want to eventually,” the speaker said.

Last season, Slicker was a member of a team that accomplished the unimaginable

by winning the Championship and making it all the way to the Premier League

after eventually making it out of League One.

 

Aro Muric and Liam Delap, two former teammates of Man City,

were among the many new players the Blues added to bolster their roster for the

Premier League this summer, but Slicker says the camaraderie still exists.

“Every boy I really get along with,” he said.It was good to catch up with Liam (Delap),

one of the new youngsters who recently arrived.

 

I have lifelong friendships with all the boys from last year’s class,

even the ones who have moved away from the club.

“I really enjoy living here, even with the town and stuff like that,

and it was really easy for me to settle in.”

 

Slicker has so far only been the Blues’ third choice, and he has expressed a desire

to go out on loan in order to gain more playing time.

However, he disclosed that a pre-season conversation with head coach

Kieran McKenna altered his perspective.

He explained: “I spoke to the boss early in pre-season and he said he wanted me to stay –

and I was buzzing with it.

“I thought it was a compliment to my performance from the previous year,

and I was thrilled to see that he had noticed my advancements.”

“I’m happy that everyone is in agreement, and I’m excited for the big season that lies ahead.

I’m buzzing to be here.”

And now that he is set to remain in Suffolk, Slicker is soaking up the knowledge

he gains from working out with Christian Walton and Muric, the keepers who came before him.

 

“Chris and Aro are great, great people and are obviously top goalkeepers,” he said.

“Aro, I trained with him a few times and I remember looking up to him when I was probably

14 or 15 years old at Man City. He was with the first team.”

It’s wonderful that he is here. Learning from him is amazing,

and I’m also learning from Christian, since I think we have somewhat of a similar approach.

 

“It’s great to have two top goalkeepers to work with on a day-to-day basis.

“Christian is that true professional that does everything as well as he can – and to be fair,

it’s the same with Aro.

“Both train really well, and off the pitch as well they’re good people to look up to.”

So, does that help his development?

“Yeah, 100%,” Slicker insisted. “I had it last year with Vas (Hladky) and Chris.

They’re obviously at a really high level.

I feel compelled to maintain my composure and to keep pushing them as a result.

“It goes hand in hand; if I keep pushing them, they’ll keep pushing me,

and I believe that we’re all getting better together.”

Slicker hasn’t got many opportunities to play for the first team because there are talented

keepers ahead of him in the pecking order, but he did show promise in last season’s

Carabao Cup victories over Bristol Rovers and Reading.

In fact, he stopped a penalty kick in the latter game as

Town defeated the Royals on penalty kicks.