New signing Conor Chaplin says the chance to work with his Portsmouth boss Paul Cook for a second time and the club’s ambition were why he chose to drop into League One with the Blues from Championship Barnsley.

The 24-year-old, pictured above with fellow new addition George Edmundson at Colchester last night, joined Town yesterday on a three-year deal, the Blues and Tykes having agreed a deal understood to be in the region of £750,000.

“I know the way the gaffer likes to work and the style of play he likes to implement is something that excites me,” he told iFollow Ipswich.

“To drop down a division, the ambition of the club was something that really excited me. I don’t really want to play in League One longer than I have to, I’ve obviously had that experience in the Championship, which has made me hungry to play more there, to stay there.

“That’s what I want coming here, ambition from the club that matches the ambition that I’ve got, so that’s something I can’t wait to working hard towards and make happen.

“Obviously from the outside it looks silly dropping from the Championship to League One, but first and foremost this is a massive football club and I know the ambition having spoken to people at the football club. The ambition that’s here is exciting and that’s something that really excites me.

“As a player you always want to play in good teams, you always want to play in teams that are ambitious and want to go places, so that’s something which really drew me to the club, along with the manager as well.”

Chaplin has played at Portman Road once previously for Pompey as an 18-year-old in a third round FA Cup tie in January 2016 in which he netted what appeared to be his side’s 86th-minute winner having come on as a sub, prior to Ryan Fraser grabbing a perhaps dubious leveller two minutes later.

The new Blues signing remembers that day fondly: “It was when I was with Portsmouth in League Two in the FA Cup. I scored. My family was all here in the away end, special memories. This is the first time I’ve been back since. Really nice memories.”

Reflecting on the season opener against Morecambe a week on Saturday, he added: “I can’t wait, I’m aware of the number of season tickets that have been sold. It’s going to be unbelievable come next Saturday, I’m really looking forward to it, I’m really excited.”

Photo: Matchday Images

notoriousITFC added 12:36 - Jul 28 Great couple of signings. Serious statement that we managed to lure Chaplin away from a Championship side that reached the playoffs last year. Those Texan pension funds must really be paying some nice salaries at PR. You love to see it.
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buzbyblue added 12:39 - Jul 28 Wages have nothing to do with the pension fund, its capped at 60% of turnover...... But finally we are building a team with AMBITION, believing in the fact we are where we are, but wanting to do something about it Bring it on!
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Blue_75 added 12:59 - Jul 28 The impact of Ed Sheeran's involvement on Turnover, through shirt sales, shouldn't be overlooked here!
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Bluearmy_81 added 13:31 - Jul 28 Notice how all the players coming in are saying Ipswich are a massive club? I know that's a bit of a buzz phrase for new players but you get the feeling they believe in the club, it's been well sold to them. How many fans last dlseason were saying the opposite, we're not a big club?We are, time to start believing that and thinking about where Ipswich belong. 2 divisions Norwich, is that where we belong?! No chance. We should be playing them and beating them and in time, I have faith we will be again...

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Bluearmy_81 added 13:32 - Jul 28 2 division below Norwich
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ringwoodblue added 14:12 - Jul 28 I don't really take much notice of these interviews as newly-signed players are only going to say good things about their new club. However, it's good that there is a hunger to get into the Championship ASAP. Players should do their talking on the pitch and in the local community
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markchips added 14:21 - Jul 28 There has been some comment on the amount of funds spent but if further analysis is made and, assuming wages are double for new players coming in as has been alluded to I would comment as follows. 29 players out so far plus £1M for Dozzell and 5 further nominal undisclosed fees. Assuming Nydam and Gibbs were on low wages, the six loan players to leave amounts to the equivalent of two new loan players and the seven youngsters who left amounted to one new player's wages at the lower end such as Penney, that still leaves another fourteen players leaving on good wages such as Sears, Huws, Chambers, Skuse etc. I believe it is the sheer volume of players departing and the resultant loss of wages which is enabling us to recruit ten new ones on good money. Potentially Downes and Kenlock still to go which may well mean the end result is positive in financial terms.

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Ipswichbusiness added 14:35 - Jul 28 Bluearmy_81: yes, as you say, we are two divisions below Norwich. However, even in League One we can still draw 20,000. How many League One or Championship clubs can do that? (I think I'm right in saying that Accrington's capacity is 5,000). I see from the BBC website that Leicester are planning to increase ground capacity by 8,000 to 40,000. We have a capacity of 30,000! It is a sad mark of the failure of the Evans regime that a big club was left languishing in League One.

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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 15:03 - Jul 28 We don't want to play there any longer than we have to either, Conor. Hopefully, you can help us do something about it.
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Barty added 15:15 - Jul 28 Bluearmy_81. We will be in the same division in 22/23 season
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itfcasual added 15:33 - Jul 28 @markchips What you are saying makes perfect sense. Which is why having 50 mediocre at best professionals on the books not only seems daft from a playing perspective but a financial one too. The squad was bloated and under performing, and so were some of the players! Hopefully with a trimmed down squad mainly consisting of hungry players in early career we can generate some positive competition for places. Under performing forwards who have just got done for drink driving, or even those that haven't, better up their game considerably this season or the exit door beckons. Personally I'd get shot of them now.

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oldburian added 15:35 - Jul 28 Nydam was not on low wages, when he played and started against Norwich it meant , under his contract, he went to £4k a week having started the number required.
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Linkboy13 added 17:24 - Jul 28 This is the problem we need to get promoted at the first time of asking otherwise we might have some unsettled players on our books.
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GiveusaWave added 21:15 - Jul 28 Markchip...I might be wrong but think we've had 30 players out (I've lost count there are so many).
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