Town are taking Norwich City midfielder Mark Rivers on trial. Rivers is out of favour at Carrow Road and hasn't played for the first team since January.

Blues' manager Joe Royle told the club site that a winger like Rivers is something which has been missing from his squad: "We've never really had a player like Mark at the club since I've been here.

"There is no time limit on his stay with us at present, we are taking a look at him and will then decide what to do. But he will provide us with some different options."

Rivers is a player well-known to Town fans from his days with Crewe Alexandra. The 28-year-old scored against the Blues three times in quick succession.

The six-foot tall right-sided player first scored one of Crewe's goals in their 2-1 league defeat of Town in April 1999, a game which all but ended the Blues' automatic promotion hopes that season.

Only months later, Rivers netted in both legs of a League Cup tie to dump the Blues out of the competition at the second round stage.

Norwich came in for him in the summer of 2001, paying £500,000 for his services. Rivers has made 79 appearances for the Canaries, scoring 11 goals.

Rivers started his career with Crewe, his home town club. Between 1994 and 2001 he played 239 games and scored 58 goals.

The winger will be in the Town squad for Saturday's friendly at Peterborough and will be on next week's pre-season tour of Denmark.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls