Town new boy Jordan Roberts has revealed it was a case of third time lucky when manager Paul Hurst signed him in the summer.

Hurst had tried to recruit him in his days as Grimsby boss and again with former club Shrewsbury, an attempt earlier this year on the final day of the January transfer window eventually coming to nothing as the player elected to stay put.

But it was a different story in the summer, with Hurst installed at Portman Road and former Arsenal youngster Roberts out of contract having rejected the offer of a new deal to extend his stay at Crawley, where he spent two seasons and scored 11 goals in 62 appearances.

Watford-born Roberts, 24, admitted: “It was a little bit of a surprise when Ipswich came in for me. But I’ve known Paul and Chris Doig for a while now and when the chance popped up it was a no-brainer for me.

“I wanted to jump at the opportunity with both hands and I’m very grateful for it. I’m happy to be here and I can’t wait to contribute more to the team.

“Paul was in for me at both clubs but I didn’t make the move. Coming here, it was the right time for me because I thought I needed to kick on and I’m happy to be working under them as a management team and the rest of the boys in the squad.

“I was close to going to Shrewsbury in January but it didn’t go through and I stayed with Crawley to play the remainder of the season with them.

“Crawley offered me a new contract but I wanted to give myself a new challenge and push myself as hard as I could.

“It wasn’t right for me to stay there so I was looking elsewhere. This opportunity came up and I grabbed it with both hands.

“I spoke to a few Championship clubs in the summer. There was some interest and it was a long transfer window for me because I was on holiday for quite a bit of it.

“There was nothing quite concrete until I spoke to Paul. After knowing him for a while I jumped at the chance.

“The connection between us goes back a while. When Paul was at Grimsby I played against them on numerous occasions for Aldershot and Crawley.

“In football, managers have players they keep an eye on and I’ve always been looking to move on and play at the highest level possible. It’s flattering that Paul has been interested in me to the point of signing me for Ipswich.

“There are a lot of players here looking to show they can cope with playing at this level. We’ve got nothing to fear because we have played against bigger opponents before.

“I never go into a game fearing anyone, I just focus on my own game and I’m sure that goes for the other boys as well.

“I was one of the first to sign here and I knew the job he wanted me to do.

“It was a big jump but I believe in my own ability and hopefully it shows when I’m out there on the pitch. I look forward to playing against the better players because that is another challenge for me.”

Roberts was only eight when he joined the Arsenal academy and he was there until being released when he was 15. “There’s not many from my age group who are still playing,” he added. “A lot have come and gone in the game. It depends if you have the mindset to stay on track or not.

“I was at Arsenal for seven years and I know what it takes to get through. The opportunity is very minimal.

“It’s obviously disheartening to be let go from such a massive club and for me to grow my career I knew I had to go out and play competitive football.

“I did that at the earliest opportunity and if it wasn’t for that I probably wouldn’t be here at Ipswich. Everything has worked out well but it’s not over for me. I’ve got to carry on and carry on working hard if I’m to progress.

“Some of the boys I was with at Arsenal might still be playing but it’s at a lower league or in part-time football.

“It depends on your mindset and how much drive you have to push yourself. I can only speak for myself but a lot of it is down to mental strength.

“I’ve always wanted to play football so my main goal was to push myself, play in competitive men’s football and get appearances in the league.

“That’s what I did from an early age and I believe it has paid off and done well for me.”

Photo: TWTD

Radlett_blue added 23:26 - Aug 23 I am delighted he said "Chris Doig" rather than "Doigy". This man will go far!
2

slade1 added 08:49 - Aug 24 I hope I'm proved wrong and nothing against the player himself, but yet another player from the lower leagues who in my opinion is not good enough for championship football.
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tractorboybig added 09:52 - Aug 24 not for us
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TR11BLU added 10:18 - Aug 24 well I thought he looked promising when he came on the other night. Put a couple of great balls with pace into the box. Lets give him, and the team a chance eh?
1

Dog added 11:05 - Aug 24 Another one of PH proper blokes????. Give him 90 minutes, two strikers to feed and lets see what the lad can do.
2

ElephantintheRoom added 11:52 - Aug 24 And there you have it. An eager player innocently reveals what has been glaringly apparent from day 1. Hurst is simply recruiting Shrewsbury targets.
0

Gingerblues added 11:58 - Aug 24 Let's give the lad a chance shall we. We're you at your best in the first few weeks of your job? It may be he isnt good enough but personally I'll make that judgement at the end of the season when he's actually played some football in a town shirt.
1

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