Freddie Sears’ joy at joining Town is tempered with the fear that former club Colchester could be relegated from League One now that their top scorer has moved on.

Sears has netted 14 goals this season, 10 of them in league games, and the U’s have signed Town striker Jack Marriott on loan in an effort to fill the void.

The former West Ham player said: “It’s going to be hard for Colchester to stay up but there are a lot of teams down there in the same position.

“They have a good squad and a good management team so hopefully they can get out of it. I don’t think there’s much to choose between the teams at the bottom end of League One and a couple of wins can make a real difference.

“I hope they can stay clear of relegation and I wish them well. I had three years at Colchester and I couldn’t say a bad word about them.

“The last two seasons were probably the best I’d had in a long time. I was happy there, they have a lot of good people at the club and I’ll have a soft spot for them for the rest of my life.

“I believed I was good enough to play at a higher level. I know where I can play, as well as what I can do and can’t do.

“Like I always say, you sometimes have to drop down to come back up again and I believe I’ve done that with the move to Ipswich. This is a new challenge for me and I’m looking forward to it.”

Sears’ overall record for Colchester was 34 goals in 98 appearances, 22 of which were as a substitute, but he admitted it would have been impossible to turn his back on the opportunity offered by Town.

He added: “I’ve had a good season for Colchester and I feel good right now. It’s now about getting my chance here at Ipswich and making sure I take it.

“Saturday at Millwall was a good start. I just wanted to get on the pitch and show what I could do but getting an assist made it even better.

“It was a tough decision to leave Colchester because I had three good years there and I really enjoyed it.

“They are a good club and I was enjoying my football, playing every week and scoring a few goals. But when a club like Ipswich Town come knocking it’s hard to turn down.

“I’ve said many times that you sometimes have to take a step back in order to come forward again. I was at West Ham and it didn’t work out the way I’d have liked it to.

“I went to Colchester in League One and now I’m back in the Championship. I’m buzzing to be here and just looking forward to my next opportunity.”

Photo: Action Images

TR11BLU added 12:05 - Jan 21 Good on yer Freddie
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