Ipswich boss Paul Lambert believes football will return for the better from the coronavirus suspension.

Town had slipped to 10th and seven points from the play-off places when football was suspended in mid-March, after four consecutive defeats, so their chances of bouncing straight back to the Championship were already slim.

“When life has finally returned to normal, I think football will change for the better," former Norwich City manager Lambert told the Guardian. “We should see the reversal of a power balance that has swung the wrong way for too long, switching it back in favour of the clubs.

“I would certainly expect that to happen in the divisions below the Premier League, where the financial implications of Covid-19 are hitting particularly hard. Players and agents will have to lower their expectations, and we will see fewer instances of football clubs being held to ransom over deals and contracts.

“Anyone going in saying 'this guy wants this money, and I want this amount for doing the deal', might have to face a new reality. Do you want the club to go out of existence, and then there's no club to play at? If agents ask too much then clubs will say 'no problem, we'll do something else'."

He added: "Recruitment will change and that may well see more youth players becoming involved. At Ipswich we have a really talented group from under-15s and under-16s upwards. I know that if we can't go out and spend a certain amount, we can bring these guys in and develop them."