Town have confirmed that midfielder Jimmy Bullard has left the club by mutual consent with the remaining year left on his contract having been terminated.
Manager Paul Jewell says that at 33 Bullard needs to be playing week-in, week-out, something which wasn't going to happen at Town: "I’ve known Jimmy for a long time. He’s a top lad but he wants to play regular first-team football and I can’t guarantee him that here.
"We sat down and had a straightforward chat and I explained to him that I’ve got to look to the future and that he was down the pecking order in terms of a starting place.
"Jimmy loves playing football and at his age, he needs to be playing so all parties agreed that it was best if he moved on.
"He’s a great character to have around the place and I’m sure there will be plenty of interest in him. We wish him all the best for the future.”
Bullard added: "I want to thank Paul Jewell for giving me the opportunity to play for such a fantastic football club as Ipswich Town.
"I didn’t play as much football as I would have liked last season and I need to be out there on the park on a Saturday afternoon, not sitting in the stands.
"I feel as fit as I’ve ever done and knowing that my opportunities were going to be limited at Ipswich, it’s best that I move on.
"I’ll miss the lads in the dressing-room. They are a great bunch and I was lucky enough to enjoy a great relationship with the supporters at Ipswich as well, which meant a lot to me. I wish the club the best of luck.”
Bullard, understood to be the club's highest earner on wages believed to be more than £15,000-a-week, rejoined the Blues on a permanent basis just under a year ago having had his Hull City contract terminated.
The one-time Peterborough, Wigan and Fulham man had previously enjoyed a hugely successful loan spell during the second half of the 2010/11 season in which he won the Supporters' Club's Player of the Year award.
Last season he made 12 starts - the last at Burnley in November - and nine substitute appearances, scoring just the once.