Christophe Berra has described being voted the Town supporters’ Player of the Year as a great honour.
Berra, who was also the choice of the Junior Blues and the club’s corporate backers, has enjoyed a memorable first season at Portman Road after being recruited on a free transfer last summer following his release by former club Wolves.
He said: "It was a great honour from the fans who come to the games and voted online and at the stadium. It seems the supporters have taken to me and appreciate me, which fills me with confidence and I’m very grateful.”
It was Town boss Mick McCarthy who signed Berra for Wolves from his first club, Hearts, and it has proved to be an inspired move to recruit him for a second time on behalf of Ipswich.
Berra, 29, recalled: "I joined with about two weeks to go until the start of the season and obviously the boys had done well at the end of last season. I was still catching up on my fitness back then.
"Having got into the side I personally think I’ve had a good season. I have defended well and I have managed to chip in with some goals as well, but I think the whole team has done well.
"It’s a pity about the injuries, for example to Didzy, because he could have made a difference in a couple of games — from getting one point to three points maybe. But from a personal point of view I’m happy so far.
"I think there was a bit of doom and gloom when Didsy got injured and people were thinking we were going to struggle. But we actually did pretty well, although there were maybe a couple of games where his ability to kill off a game or get a goal out of nothing might have helped us.
"He’s a quality player who had scored 14 league goals and was on good form. No matter what team you are, top or bottom, you are going to miss a player of that stature. In the end, goals win games.
"But Murph has done tremendously well up front. He has scored 13 league goals, which is a great return, and it’s been difficult for him as well sometimes, playing so many games and often with just one up front. It’s a hard job.”