Town have confirmed the signing of Wigan striker Jason Scotland for a fee understood to be £750,000. The Trinidad and Tobago international, whose move to Town was first revealed on TWTD earlier in the month, has signed a two-year deal.
Scotland was unveiled at a press conference at Portman Road this lunchtime and says he’s pleased to have joined the club: "I’m delighted to be here and an Ipswich player and hopefully I can continue to score goals in the Championship and carry Ipswich Town into the Premiership.”
Manager Roy Keane said: "Jason is a good player and I'm delighted to have him at the club. He will bring us something different.
"He is more of a poacher than the other strikers we have here, who do a lot of work down the channels.
"We are always going on to our front players about being in and around the six-yard box and Jason will do that.
"He has proved he can score goals at this level but we have to be patient with him and give him time to settle in."
Town chief executive Simon Clegg confirmed that the move had been expected to go through last week but Wigan manager Roberto Martinez wanted to keep him for the weekend game against Chelsea.
Clegg says he’s pleased to finally get his man: "I’m absolutely delighted to have completed the signing of Jason. I think we as a club recognise that one of the areas we were short on last season was putting the ball in the back of the net and we wanted a striker with a proven record of doing so at this level.”
Scotland started his career his career in his home country with San Juan Jabloteh and Defence Force, where he played alongside his close friend Carlos Edwards.
In 2003 he joined Dundee United after a trial, moving on to St Johnstone two years later and then Swansea City for a fee of £25,000 in 2007.
Scotland enjoyed a hugely successful spell with the Swans, netting 29 goals in all competitions during their 2007/08 League One promotion campaign and 24 in the Welsh side’s first year back in the Championship.
Last summer the 5ft 8in tall striker moved on to Wigan for £2 million but the switch hasn’t been a success, the Trinidadian netting only one league goal last season. Nicknamed Rocket, Scotland has won 41 full international caps and has scored eight goals, playing alongside Edwards and former Blues loanee Stern John.
The 31-year-old, who has been handed the number 10 shirt will be in the squad for tomorrow’s Carling Cup tie at Crewe.What to read next:
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