New Blues striker Balint Bajner says it’s a dream come true to be back in English football with Town. The 23-year-old Hungarian signed a one-year deal with an option for a second season yesterday.
Bajner, who says his surname should be pronounced ‘by-ner’, is delighted to have won himself a place in Mick McCarthy’s squad.
"I came here nine or 10 days ago and I tried to give my best in training and show that I’m worth a contract and now I’ve got the contract and I can focus for the future and I really will do my best,” he said.
Szombathely-born Bajner was previously in English football with West Ham, spending the 2008/09 season on loan from Romanian side Liberty Oradea, featuring for the Hammers' U18s and reserves but failing to break into the first team set-up.
"I was very young, 17-years-old when I came to England on loan for a year,” he recalls. "After England I went back to play in the Hungarian first division [with Honved] because I wanted to play in the top division somewhere.
"Now I’m really happy because it was my dream to come back to England and I hope I can show what I can do.”
Bajner has spent the last two seasons with Borussia Dortmund in Germany but having played almost all of his football for their B team in the lower leagues opted to have his contract terminated this summer.
"I broke my contract with Borussia Dortmund, then my Hungarian agent has contact with an agent here, he made contact with the club and they said to come over and they would see how I am training with the team,” he said.
"I broke the contract because they had a lot of strikers. I didn’t see that it was going to be good for me because I’m 23 and the second team is almost all very young players, 19 or 20 years old.
"Mostly I played in the second team, it was the third league, like League One in England. I made my debut in the first team in the top league in Germany and I was also on the bench for the Champions League. It was a good place to learn.
"But in front of me there were big stars, Ciro Immobile came from Italy, so I felt it was better for me to move. But I’m really happy now because I really wanted to come to England.”
Are Town well known in Hungary? "Of course! When I was young I knew they were in the Premier League. For me it’s my dream and I’m really happy that I can play in England with a club like Ipswich Town. It’s a really good club.”
He added: "I just want to work with the manager and with the team and just give everything and hopefully good results will come.”
Bajner says he knows Town’s two previous Hungarians, Tamas Priskin and Marton Fulop: "I know them, I play many times against them. In my country everybody knows that Ipswich are a really good club.”
Having won U19 caps, Bajner hopes to emulate Priskin and Fulop and play for the Hungarian national side while at Portman Road: "I also dream of playing for Hungary’s national team.
"Last year I mainly played in Borussia Dortmund’s second team, so I didn’t get a call from the national team but I am hoping that now I am here I will get a call in the future.”
Bajner netted his first goal in a Town shirt in the friendly at Southend on Tuesday and, even though it was only a friendly, celebrated with an extravagant bow in front of the Blues support.
"I celebrate every goal,” he explained. "I think that makes the players get more motivation and when I see the fans I just want to say thank you, the celebration is for them. They come away and I hope that I can make a lot more celebrations in the future.”