When the Frenchman was appointed as Blackburn’s head coach in February, replacing John Eustace after his exit for Derby, Ismael was thrilled to have the opportunity to once again manage Callum Brittain, who had previously been in his Barnsley squad.
And Ismael very quickly realised Brittain had taken his game to another level at Ewood Park, so much so the 49-year-old was convinced he’d inherited a squad which featured one of the league’s elite right-backs.
“He’s one of the best, definitely,” said Ismael after Brittain starred in a 4-1 win over Millwall in April, scoring one goal and creating another.
“I knew that since Barnsley, but I knew that with the way we want to play, he’s a perfect player for what we want to implement.
“As I say, I don’t need to say a lot of words this afternoon, I think everyone at the stadium saw. It was just wow what he brought to the team.
“He’s a very important player for me as a player and as a human being.”
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Fast forward a few months and Ismael knew he was fighting a losing battle. Brittain had moved into the last 12 months of his contract at Ewood Park and had made it known, after learning of Middlesbrough’s interest, that he was keen on a new challenge and excited by the prospect of the move to the Riverside.
Ismael knew the damage had been done prior to his time at Blackburn in allowing Brittain to enter the last year of his contract.
“We knew from a few weeks ago that he was going to leave, it was a question of time, respect and attitude,” he said at the weekend after an agreement with Boro had been reached.
“I think we stayed strong with our position and we made it clear what we wanted. We made a good deal but we missed the chance to extend Callum before my time.
“I think if we made the same offer one year ago, we wouldn’t have been in that situation. We are still dealing with situations from the past. Now we have a clear line internally, we tried everything to keep him. The club made a big offer but he took his decision and we have to accept that.”
Boro’s pursuit of Brittain hasn’t been easy but they didn’t want to accept defeat.
Right-back was understandably identified as an absolute top priority in the current window and Brittain was the top target. Boro obviously had other options in mind but were “all in” on Brittain, as one source put it, and were always confident of landing the right-back once Blackburn had a replacement lined up.
And it’s not difficult to work out why Brittain was seen as the ideal signing in what is a crucial role in Rob Edwards’ side.
He can obviously play right-back in a four but also seen as the ideal profile to play as a wing-back. He has provided 10 assists over the course of the last two campaigns and also chipped in with a couple of goals last season.
His final product in and around the opposition box is something Brittain has worked incredibly hard on.
“A lot of my strengths are in the final third, bombing down the line, getting up and down, that energy that I bring,” he said in a Blackburn club interview at the end of last season.
“Playing to my strengths has helped me.
“I think (the fans) have appreciated my energy and intensity in the games this year. Obviously, the goals and assists help but I put 100 per cent into every game.”
Edwards will certainly play to Brittain’s strengths at Boro. There’s a feeling within the coaching and recruitment team that Brittain is a perfect fit, not only as a player but as a character as well.
He developed into a leader at Blackburn who talked about the importance of “playing for the badge”.
From Boro’s perspective, there’s a robustness that’s hugely and understandably appealing after the injury woes of the last couple of seasons. Brittain has played 77 Championship games in the last two campaigns. He’s been consistently available and consistently impressive.
He’s joined Boro after what Brittain himself described as the best season of his career – and both the defender and Boro’s staff believe there’s more to come.
There’s no doubt that it’s been a challenging window for Boro so far, but the arrival of Brittain is a major boost. Under Michael Carrick, new signings often talked about the lure of playing for the former England and Manchester United midfielder.
Edwards might not have enjoyed quite as high profile a playing career as the man he replaced, but don’t be fooled into thinking that doesn’t mean Boro’s head coach, a former Premier League manager, of course, isn’t a big pull.
“He’s a good honest human being,” said Brittain of Edwards in his first club interview.
“I like that. He was a pulling factor.
“He wants to play very exciting football. He wants a high press and he was saying I have the attributes that fit the style he wants to play.”
