Skipper Jim Magilton declared that he has "loved every minute" of his seven-year spell with Town as he prepared for his final home appearance, against Derby County on Saturday. The former Northern Irish international says he plans to continue his playing career for at least one more season after his summer departure from Portman Road.

Magilton, 37 next month, has made no hard and fast plans regarding his future in football, although he is keen to move into coaching at some point over the next couple of years. He says he will consider his options in the close season after he and his family move back to the North-West where he started his career with Liverpool in the late eighties.

Signing for Town £682,500 from Sheffield Wednesday in March 1999 after a loan spell, Magilton has known both highs and lows with the Blues, from promotion at Wembley in 2000 - his hat-trick in the play-off semi-final having helped beat Bolton - to fifth place in the Premiership and the UEFA Cup a year later, then relegation administration and the club's continuing financial tribulations.

The Belfast-born player says he will miss greatly miss Town: "The club has been such a huge part of my life. I live five minutes from the training ground, my youngest son was born here, my other son grew up here and we've spent every Sunday for seven years at the training ground."

"I've loved every minute of it, it's been a marvellous seven years."

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