Town have confirmed the signing of Macclesfield right-back Elliott Hewitt. The Welshman, who is 18 today, has signed a three-year deal, as reported last night.

The Blues and Silkmen agreed a fee understood to be in the region of an initial £250,000 with further cash due when various milestone clauses have been triggered.

The full-back, who can also operate in midfield, tweeted that he was delighted to be joining the Blues: "Really happy to sign for Ipswich. Looking forward to next season and getting back playing. Couldn't of wished for a better 18th present.

"Would like to thank everyone at Macclesfield for what they did for me. The club means the world to me and I hope they bounce back.

"Thanks to all the coaches, youth team, first team from last year and backroom staff at Macc. And the biggest thank you to the fans."

Macclesfield chairman Mike Rance is happy with the deal: "We're pleased that he is going to a club with a realistic chance of making first team appearances.

"Elliott's best interests were part of the process, but we've also negotiated hard to get a good deal for the club with a fee that could exceed our transfer record should all of the performance-related add-ons come to fruition. He's a young player with a great future ahead of him."

Hewitt, who was interesting the likes of Arsenal, Everton and Chelsea before his 2011/12 campaign was curtailed due to a hip impingement injury which required surgery, joined Macclesfield's youth set-up after being released by the Stoke Academy.

Hewitt signs in chief executive Simon Clegg's office

Having made a single first team start in 2010/11 and becoming the Silkmen's youngest-ever player at 16 years and 342 days, the Bodelwyddan-born defender, who has won five U21 caps with Wales in addition to three at U17 level, made 19 starts and five sub appearances as the Silkmen were relegated from League Two at the end of this season.

Photos: Action Images/ITFC

Photo: Action Images

brian_a_mul added 14:57 - May 30 Happy Birthday Elliott + Welcome to ITFC. We wish you the best of luck in preseason and hope it goes injury free! Im really excited!!! Yipee. Now to gate crash his birthday party!
0

FenboyBlue added 15:00 - May 30 Eh up, I bet he comes from Macclesfield.
0

alex12345 added 15:04 - May 30 Everyone now get off Paul Jewell's back. PJ has obviously realised that the Joel Ward signing wasn't happening for whatever reason and has acted extremely quickly in tieing this deal down instead. Fair play to him in the speed that he pushed this through and by the sounds of it a very very promising player. Looked at by Arsenal, Everton and Chelsea, very highly rated, "the next Bale" in the Welsh under 21's at 17 years old, youngest ever Macclesfield player making alot of appearances at such a young age. Everything's in his favour so very happy. Clearly PJ saw Ward coming in as a straight replacement for Edwards to take a sub role or maybe be pushed forward into midfield but with this signing, PJ obviously feels Edwards can still do a job at RB for now and bring Hewitt on steadily through the season. Very wise move by PJ and not only PJ but Clegg and Evans should be praised! More of the same please.

0

ITFCforlife added 15:04 - May 30 YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS
0

darren added 15:07 - May 30 welcome elliott good to see us signing young prospects
0

weddings added 15:09 - May 30 Give him the No 2 Shirt......
0

newboy added 15:09 - May 30 Don't get too excited until you see him play next season it will be hewitt who and we will be stuck with him for 3 years. Clearly our talented players such as Hyam Whight Bennett get treated like dirt with a 1 year deal and the less talented get more. A lesson there for the youngsters
0

AbujaBlue added 15:11 - May 30 Well done Clegg and Jewell
0

itfc4eva added 15:14 - May 30 Good job. Seeing Aaron Creswell proved to be a good acquisition and we have likes of Bullard and Sonko on our books i think they can turn him into a mature player. He can also provide back up/competition for edwards or PJ may move edwards into midfield seeing that it is unlikely we can sign Daryl Murphy now. One good signing down, three/four to go? GK, CB, CB, ST. I admit we have enough strikers but duke did nothing last season. I know it sounds realistic but with the money we have/evans wishes to put it in i think we could acquire Loach formk Watford, two decent centre halves (another on loan) and a striker like James Beattie who I see has been released by Sheff Utd. As for CB, I see Carlos Cuellar was released by A Villa. Admittedly he is thirty but has had a good career and still has a few years underneath his belt. Thoughts??

0

StowTractorBoy added 15:15 - May 30 Some really good news at last and hope he does have the pace we so badly need in the team as well as his defensive qualities of course. He seems really pleased to be with us which is great to hear from such a young man still growing up. The best of luck Elliott and well done to all at ITFC for securing the deal.
0

DiamondGezzer added 15:16 - May 30 Congratulations to all at ITFC on this signing, and welcome young Elliott. First part of the new jigsaw in place.
0

hollywoodginge added 15:29 - May 30 Excellent signing well done Simon Clegg, Paul Jewell and Marcus Evans.
0

Sindre94 added 15:33 - May 30 i love you all. made my day
0

BillBlue added 15:33 - May 30 Newboy, just go away. This, IMO, is a super signing and I think this guy will find his way directly into the first team and stay there for many a long year. The reformation of Town has started and will now perambulate, all the way, until we are back where we expect to be then, all you moaning, groaning, idiots will have to go to some other club's board where you rightfully belong. COYB

0

Suffolk_n_Good added 15:38 - May 30 Excellent, well done to all.
0

Urchin added 15:39 - May 30 newboy - have you ever actually seen Hewitt play ? how can you say or suggest he's "less talented". The only lesson for younger players he will need to learn from your posting that there's always some moaning g*t who finds fault with everything Why dont you actually shut it - give the lad credit and support. I now realise why another poster called you an a*se. I think he actually paid you a compliment.

0

shefkuqi32 added 15:58 - May 30 Very good news, looks promising. More of the same please
0

brianmg added 16:06 - May 30 Looks like a good signing - welcome young man, hope you have a long and happy stay with us!!
0

bluearmy78 added 16:09 - May 30 @itfc4eva, I thought that Sonko had been released??
0

ArnieMsBigToe added 16:11 - May 30 I concur with all the POSITIVE posts on this topic. As lots of people have already said, let this be the start of a influx of young talented players. The only possible exception to this is a GK. Brad Friedel is 40ish and he is still pretty tasty!! Maybe Guzan is next on PJs list. I do hope so.
0

TractorBoy666 added 16:16 - May 30 It's nice to get home and see we have signed this lad! Well done Clegg, Evans and PJ!!
0

alfromcol added 16:28 - May 30 Did anyone notice in the picture of Elliott and Cleggy, all the other player's forms in the folder waiting to be signed??
0

chepstowblue added 16:44 - May 30 Welcome to the club Hewlett Packard !
0

Mark added 16:57 - May 30 Fantastic news. This has to be a recent record from the time between first linked and signed! Hewitt fits the profile perfectly of the sort of player we should be signing. He will give Edwards competition at right-back and it gives us options in midfield too as both Elliott and Carlos can play there. A Wales U21 international already, potentially Hewitt could become a top player and if he does so at a similar time to Cresswell and Emmanuel-Thomas then we could have the makings of a side that really could get promoted. More youngsters please!

0

jas0999 added 17:04 - May 30 Great news, a very promising transfer. Will be interesting to see whether he plays, or whether an older player will occupy that position. Either way, this is a good step in the right direction - particularly considering we should be building a team not just for now, but several seasons to come.
0

Blogs 297 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls