New Town striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas says he’s looking forward to linking up with his former Cardiff team-mate Michael Chopra on a more regular basis at Portman Road. The duo were together with the Welsh club last season but the versatile youngster, who signed from Arsenal for £1.5 million rising to £2 million on Monday, says he never really got the opportunity to show his best form while on loan with the Bluebirds.
Confirming that he’d ideally like to play just behind Chopra or one of the club’s other out-and-out frontmen rather than wide in midfield, Emmanuel-Thomas said: "I’m good at attacking and making things happen. I’d most probably prefer to play off the striker, that would be the best place for me.
"I know Michael well. I spoke to him before I came and it’s going to be a good experience playing with him on a weekly basis.”
The 20-year-old says last season’s five-month spell with Cardiff - where he made nine starts and seven sub appearances, yielding two goals - was hampered by the Bluebirds having so many loan players that they couldn’t include all of them in their squad. He feels this prevented him from getting into his stride and playing to the best of his ability: "I think it kind of messed it up that they had a lot of loanees, so there were a lot of games I couldn’t be involved in because of that situation.
"I never really got going there. It was an awkward situation. When I first got there I played, then all of a sudden I was on the bench. It was a bit on and off, but hopefully that won’t happen here.
"Obviously, you can’t play well everywhere, but hopefully I can bring my ‘A game’ here to Ipswich this season.
"Week-in, week-out football with what’s going to be my hometown club, that’s what I’m hoping for.”
With plans in place to relocate to Ipswich, he hopes regular football and hard work will lead to consistent form and in turn progress to the England U21s and perhaps then on to the game’s highest levels: "I need to do it on a weekly basis. Even when you’re not having a good game, you have your moments when something has happened. But I need to keep it as consistent as possible.
"Every player has to prove his worth in the team and make sure he plays for his position. That’s down to the manager to decide. I’m just here to train and if I train well I’ll get my place.
"Everyone’s dream is to play in the Premier League and the Champions League but your career can only take you so far and it depends on how hard you work to get you there.”
Away from the pitch, the Forest Gate-born player is a keen tweeter under the name @WEDITSJET and hopes he’ll keep supporters amused: "I don’t know how many of them follow me on Twitter, but hopefully I can keep them entertained!
"WED is just a saying where I’m from which means ‘What else den?’. It’s just something that you put at the end of a sentence and if they catch on to it, they catch on to it, if they don’t, they don’t.”
But he promises that it'll be mainly on the field where he'll be providing most entertainment once the new season gets under way at Bristol City in a week’s time: "I’ve got a lot of tricks in my locker but I bring them out at the right time, you’ll just have to watch the whole game!
"I can’t wait. I’m buzzing for next Saturday, I’m just waiting to see how the team will start off the season.”