Former Blues midfielder Lee Evans says he was in the form of his life with Town last season and is itching to get back in action with new club Portsmouth, who he joined on a deal until the summer last week following his Portman Road exit by mutual consent close to the end of the transfer window.

Evans, 29, underwent knee surgery in October having suffered a knock to an already long-standing problem in the 1-1 draw at Huddersfield the previous month.

The Welshman made 21 League One starts and two sub appearances as the Blues won promotion during 2022/23, but wasn’t involved after February, again due to the knee injury.

“When I was playing at Ipswich last season I was on fire, probably the form of my life - and I want to get back to that,” Evans told The News.

“I had a medial ligament reconstruction in October, quite a big operation, but one I wanted to get done. You can treat it with injections, but the time had come.

“I picked up an injury at Huddersfield in a tackle in September. Me and the surgeon had previously agreed that, if it happened again, I should really get it done for the longevity of my career.

“It was keeping me out for about 12 weeks at time and although I was managing it properly, it was affecting me.

“The only thought in my mind was to get it fixed properly, I was wasting too much time in the treatment room. It’s a problem which has niggled with me for the last couple of the seasons.

“The surgeon said I should now have the knee of when I was 18, smashing balls everywhere and flying into tackles. So I said “Happy days, that sounds good to me!”.

“I’m 29, it’s an important time of my career, I should be going into my prime as a central midfielder. I see the best years ahead of me, so I’m glad I’ve had this issue sorted.

“It’s a big surgery and it has been a long five months, but now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, I’m happy to be out playing again with no pain.”

Evans joined the Blues having left Wigan in the summer of 2021 and went on to make 55 starts and six sub appearances, scoring six times, three of those in the 6-0 hammering of Doncaster Rovers early in his first season at the club.

Reflecting on where he found himself in January with Town having filled all the slots in the 25-man senior EFL squad while he was continuing his rehabilitation from the surgery, he added: “I could have sat there at Ipswich and just picked up my money, but that's not the character I am, I wanted to play football.

“It was a decision me and the manager came to. I wasn’t going to be in their 25-man squad anyway because of the injury, so I was able to go and play football elsewhere because I knew I’d be fit before the end of the season.

“I could have stayed there and seen if we could get promoted, but I'd wasted too much time. Then the opportunity to come to a club like this, which I’m really grateful for.

“I’m in full training and have been since I arrived here. They probably want me to have another week of training, but I’m itching and in the manager’s ear saying I’m ready and want to go.

“I don’t think they want to put me at any risk and I will listen to them and get my head down, working hard and keep on showing I am ready whenever I’m needed.

“I’m getting there. It’s tough, it has been a long time, but I’m not too far away. I am naturally fit anyway, I can run all day, so it’s just getting the sharp movements back.”

Photo: Matchday Images

Europablue added 15:39 - Mar 11 Good luck to him! I'm glad he managed to find a decent club.
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benfromkent added 15:53 - Mar 11 Good luck Lee. I genuinely thought he was a fantastic player for us, some of the passes he pinged about we're sublime. Such a shame about the injury, but clearly he's very motivated to play, so good luck to him. Pompey have got a decent player there!
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SouperJim added 16:43 - Mar 11 Such a shame for him to need surgery as he would have been more than capable of playing his part this season. Our loss is Portsmouth's gain.
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Linkboy13 added 18:46 - Mar 11 He is arguably a better player than the likes of Ball, Aluko or even Harness for that matter as he proved before he got injured. But you have to admire his dedication to play games rather than sit about on the bench.
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ArnieM added 21:35 - Mar 11 I’ll be honest and say I was surprised we let him leave when he’s close to fitness again. If it was a choice between peripheral midfielders to keep I’d have kept Evans and released Ball.
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Europablue added 07:28 - Mar 12 ArnieM I think this really was a case of mutual consent. He wants to be starting games, so what we were offering wasn't attractive for him.
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Radlett_blue added 09:56 - Mar 12 Evans will be 30 in the summer and he has a poor fitness record, having rarely played 30 or more games in a single season. While these injuries aren't his fault & when fit, he's a good player at League 1 level, most clubs should be wary of giving him a contract.
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ArnieM added 10:10 - Mar 12 Europablue: Ah, I see. Well that makes more sense then ...His choice therefore..and good luck to him.
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chepstowblue added 10:21 - Mar 12 Fully fit I'd still pick him ahead of Taylor, Travis, Ball and Harness. We saw a lot of very very good stuff from Lee Evans, but we possibly never saw the best. Portsmouth gives him the opportunity of another few seasons at a very high level.....perhaps and likely to be coming up against us next season.
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Paulc added 11:14 - Mar 12 Anyone else read the first 4 words of the headline "Evans aiming to return" and start to 5hit themselves a bit?
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