Town skipper Carlos Edwards is ready to wind up former team-mate Lee Martin on his return to Portman Road with Millwall on Saturday.

Martin, 26, who snubbed a new deal in favour of joining the Lions in the summer, was regularly in hot water with referees during his four years with Ipswich.

Signed by then manager Roy Keane from Manchester United for a fee now understood to have been £2.5 million in 2009, he was dismissed three times and received 27 bookings in his 106 appearances for the club.

An unimpressed Keane shipped him out on loan to Charlton and although successor Paul Jewell recalled him, he later refused to speak to the player as his disciplinary problems mounted.

Edwards, 34, said: “I already have my studs sharpened for Lee. You don’t have to try very hard to wind him up. It is very easy.

“I could just say something out of the ordinary to him and he might snap or I could yell at him and the next thing you know he does something silly and gets sent off.

“But, saying that, I’m not that type of player. Maybe I will just whisper in someone else’s ear and let him do it!”

Martin did not feature in Millwall’s 1-0 home defeat by Yeovil on the Championship's opening day having suffered a knee injury during pre-season, but came off the bench towards the end of Tuesday’s 2-1 home win over AFC Wimbledon in the Capital One Cup.

Edwards added: “My missus says I get on her nerves but she never gets wound up as easily as Lee. He would even get wound up in the changing room sometimes.

“One of the players would say something and he would bite like a great white shark taking a lump out of the ceiling. He is that gullible. The other teams all knew what he was like and that he would react.

“I would react if I got racist abuse or someone spat at me but the rest of the time I’m so laid-back I could sleep in water. That’s my main weakness, being too laid-back. I’m getting better, slowly but surely, but I need to improve drastically.”

Despite Martin’s notoriously short fuse Edwards is keen to emphasise that he won’t really be going out of his way to land him in trouble with the officials.

The club captain said: “I’m happy for Lee. I had a nice time here with him but I hope he doesn’t have a nice time here again on Saturday. I wish him all the best for the rest of the season, except when he plays against us.

“Saturday will be about making sure we do what we have to do and not about worrying about Lee Martin and Millwall. It is going to be a battle — a war — and we need to come out on top.

“I never managed to speak to Lee before he left. Only he will know why he made that decision. Maybe he thought the money they offered him was rubbish or he just wanted to move closer to home.”

Photo: Action Images

BlueMachines added 06:32 - Aug 9 Deserves a good reception. AlwAys gave 100% effort to the cause even though the quality of the final product didn't always match up. Welcome back Lee Martin
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stevelincsexile added 06:52 - Aug 9 Don't give a hoot about Lee Martin. 3 points is a must. With QPR coming up do not want to be out of Carling cup and 9 points adrift of the top.
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WhoisJimmyJuan added 07:02 - Aug 9 Well if its not about worrying about Lee Martin and Millwall, why are we talking about it then?
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village_blue added 07:09 - Aug 9 This is not the sort of talk I expect from the captain of our team. Being captain should mean you set an example to the rest of the team and show respect for fellow pros , you should hang your head in shame Carlos.
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leftback added 07:10 - Aug 9 2.5 million, never realised it was that much, just spat out my rice crispies!!
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bigolconnor added 07:30 - Aug 9 Bit ripe village_blue. He didn't say anything that bad. He is actually showing passion and a winning mentality quite a good example I should think
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brittaniaman added 07:32 - Aug 9 1.5 million I thought was the figure and I always thought that was far too much ???? The Dark Lord never done our club any favours in his time here !!!
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Superfrans added 07:38 - Aug 9 Some people need to get a life. Carlos is obviously joking and clearly just wants to win the match. I hope Lee Martin gets polite applause, for the hard work he put in on our behalf. He was never as bad as some people said and I would have kept him at the club, for the right money. Good luck to him.
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budgieplucker added 07:41 - Aug 9 There was talk on the news yesterday about the 50th anniversary of the great train robbery. This is the Ipswich equivalent - 4 year contract with wages on top of the 2.5 million transfer fee Lee will have probably cost Ipswich well in excess of over £4 million pounds. That's a million pounds a year for an average 1.5 goals a season and only a few assists. I certainly don't believe or subscribe to barracking any former town player even if they go and play for the budgies, however to give Lee a good reception on his return with his achievement in a town shirt seems to me akin to kissing the guy who mugged your granny

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tractorboyz82 added 07:55 - Aug 9 He gave 100% all times he put on a town shirt didnt always work out but he deserves a good reception but he no longer plays for town so I say wind him up as much as you can.coyb
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tractorboyz82 added 07:58 - Aug 9 Budgieplucker. He didn't make us pay 2.5m for him the Club decided that
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theobald1985 added 08:02 - Aug 9 i will certainly give him a good reception, always appreciated his efforts. budgie plucker lee martin did not negotiate his own transfer fee etc it was between the club and his agent so he has not mugged anybody. wish LM well at millwall just not on saturday
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eastcoastblue added 08:18 - Aug 9 Anyone remember the west ham game? He was phenomenal and literally chased the ball at a sprint for 90mins. He was playing in a free role behind the front two though and gid knows why he was then stuck on the wing as we all know he cant cross his legs let alone a ball. Let us down getting sent off but at least he showed some passion!!!! Best of luck lee i say
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Mark added 08:20 - Aug 9 The Martin transfer fee just goes up and up. Firstly I thought we were getting him on a free transfer. Then £1.5M was widely quoted. Over time that went up to £2.0M. Now I'm reading £2.5M! Add to that a whopping 4-year-contract and we're probably talking about £5M he cost the club. That's over a year's season ticket sales! While Martin always tried his best for Ipswich and I don't blame him, it's another example of shocking management by Keane.

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bluefeast added 08:33 - Aug 9 Martin will win a penalty against us.
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budgieplucker added 08:34 - Aug 9 tractorboyz82 - you are right and it is not Lee's fault if he has been grossly overvalued and others at the club are accountable for making feckless decisions in the transfer market. However, I say thank god for FFP. Football lacks integrity, now I don't expect many footballers to have a conscience but Lee did have a chance to stay but chose to go and grow his wallet elsewhere. Most honest people and companies try to guarantee their work, so when things don't quite go to plan they seek to put it right. The point I am making at best is that Lee was a mediocre player and we didn't get anywhere near the value out of him for the amount he cost us. Jay Tabb to me looks the consummate professional, cost us nothing, been with us for a short period of time and scored two goals. I reserve my warm affection and applause to those who truly are proud to wear the shirt - the likes of Micky Stockwell, Simon Milton - I pluck two of these names out because they were not the most talented football wise but they opitimise to me the sort of character I want to see in an Ipswich town shirt.

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big_gaz67 added 08:48 - Aug 9 1) Carlos as club captain shouldn't be saying these things and 2) He may have sharpened his studs but he's got to catch Lee Martin first Carlos is a joke, all the support the club gave him when he got caught driving without a licence (twice) and then tried to lie his way out of it. How did he pay us back, by travelling to the Caribbean for a footballing holiday (for a friendly) during last season when we still weren't safe! How is this guy still captain of our club.?

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tractorboyz82 added 08:50 - Aug 9 See what your saying but we would all do the same for more money plus fans were in his back. jay tabb will be very good for us this season think we sill need a flair player though
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dirtyboy added 09:07 - Aug 9 big_gaz67 If a country calls up a player, they are obliged to play unless injury says otherwise. And even then, the country is entitled to do their own fitness assessment.
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AbujaBlue added 09:21 - Aug 9 No, Carlos is not a joke. What is a joke is the one or two people who haven't yet cottoned onto his brand of humour. Carlos has been a great servant to the club, and personally I like his laid back style. He is the complete opposite to Lee Martin in that sense.
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M4rkyboy1 added 09:33 - Aug 9 Why can't some people understand that Carlos is just having a bit of fun joking about his short temper? I enjoy watching Carlos when he plays (I still miss Peters) and whoever said he'd have to catch Martin first... I think Carlos would beat Martin in a 100m sprint...
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Kesgraveblue57 added 09:34 - Aug 9 You should read Village Blue again for VB is so right in what he or she says, I am in full agreement with this
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big_gaz67 added 09:36 - Aug 9 So it's ok for a captain of Ipswich to wilfully break the law twice - and then lie about it to police, club and press to try to cover it? That is the sort of role model is it?
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big_gaz67 added 09:37 - Aug 9 Sorry role mode you want is it? And diryboy - how many friendlies did Ryan Giggs play for Wales - and some of them were in Cardiff!
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Wickets added 09:44 - Aug 9 2.5 makes one realise why ME wont be spending untill we show signs of improvement.
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