Playing for Ipswich really is a dream come true for goalkeeper Dean Gerken, who faced an uncertain future when he was released by Bristol City after they finished rock-bottom of the Championship last season.
Gerken joined up at Ashton Gate in 2009 from first club Colchester and made 43 of his 60 senior appearances for the club during his first season there.
He admitted: "For me football is all about enjoying your game and the more you play the happier you are. I had three horrible years at Bristol City even though I loved the club and the fans.
"Playing-wise it was terrible for me and there were a lot of dark times. I am paid to play football and all players are the same — they just want to play. It doesn’t get any better than getting paid for a job you enjoy and going out to prove your worth on the pitch.”
Gerken played just four times during his final season with the Robins and although he attracted several firm offers from elsewhere - with Premier League Cardiff City interested in adding him as one of their understudy keepers - it was the invitation to join Ipswich on trial that appealed most.
He added: "I had other opportunities and they were concrete contract offers, not trials. But Ipswich came in for me and when that opportunity comes up the gamble has to be taken.
"Mick McCarthy as manager speaks for itself and I also knew Malcolm Webster was the goalkeeping coach here. I’ve got so much respect for Malcolm and I knew that by coming here he would give me the best opportunity and a platform to go on and do something.
"I knew that I’d be 100 per cent ready whether it was an injury to Loachy or for whatever reason I got my chance. I’d be sharp and able to do a job. I got into that position but I believe there is still a lot more to come, say another 10 per cent that I could give to the team.
"You have to remember that I haven’t played consistently for about three years and I’m only now getting into the groove. Over the past month or six weeks it has started to come together but I know I can get more still out of myself.
"I just thank God it worked out for me here. This particular club at that particular time was an opportunity I couldn’t miss.
"If someone had asked me last season which club I wanted to go to then Ipswich would have been my number one choice. I just thank my lucky stars for the way it has all worked out.”
Despite having saved a penalty on his last Portman Road appearance he doesn’t have a clue how many he has stopped in his career.
He laughed: "My record’s probably not that great. I think I’ve saved three but I’m not that sure. Jordan Miles, the club’s performance analyst, has all the information about the penalty takers and the sides they like to go for.
"Before every game he goes through it all with me. A lot of the credit should go to him — all I have to do is go the right way and hope that on that particular day the penalty takes goes the way Jordan has told me he is likely to go. It ended up being quite an important save as we went on to win the game.”
Gerken accepts that goalkeepers are more vulnerable than most when it comes to costly errors but believes it is just as important how he reacts should he suffer a lapse.
He added: "I know it’s a cliché but if you make a mistake you just have to get on with it. What else can you do? You have to deal with it and not be threatened by it.
"You have to take every decision on its own merit because if you make a mistake and get away with it you have to make sure that you get it right next time.
"That’s what I always try to do. The results have been going well recently so I can’t be doing too badly.”