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Jewell Targeting Reunion With Former Wigan Striker Roberts - Ipswich Town News

Town boss Paul Jewell is understood to want his former Wigan striker Jason Roberts to join him at Portman Road next season. Roberts, who is currently at Blackburn Rovers, was a key member of Jewell’s Latics side which won promotion to the Premier League in 2004/05.

Roberts started his career with non-league Hayes before moving on to Wolves for £250,000, during which time he went on loan spells at Torquay and Bristol City.

However, after another £250,000 switch it was at Bristol Rovers where he made his name, scoring 48 goals in 88 starts and five sub appearances between August 1998 and July 2000.

This form led to a £2 million move to West Brom, where the Londoner enjoyed a less successful spell - 86 starts, 15 sub appearances and 27 goals - and joined Portsmouth for a brief loan in 2003/04.

Jewell took Roberts to Wigan for £1.4 million in January 2004 and 43 goals in 99 starts and four games from the bench followed in the next two-and-a-half seasons.

Blackburn were successful with a £3 million offer in July 2006 and Roberts, who has won 22 international caps with Grenada, scoring 12 goals, moved on to Ewood Park, where he has netted 25 goals in 77 starts and 64 sub appearances.

In January, 6ft 1in tall Roberts signed a new deal aimed at keeping him at Blackburn until the summer of 2012 with an option for a further season, however, Rovers may be prepared to allow him to leave in the summer, particularly if they are relegated from the Premier League.

This season Roberts, who was awarded the MBE in 2010 for his services to sport in Grenada and London, has scored three goals in 11 starts plus another 13 matches as a substitute.

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