Former Ireland international defender Sean St Ledger is the trialist in action for Town’s U21s in this evening’s U21 Premier Cup tie against Southampton at Portman Road.
The 29-year-old, still a free agent following his release by Leicester in the summer, was close to joining the Blues in January 2012 before regaining his place in the Foxes side.
Solihull-born St Ledger, capped 37 times by Ireland, scoring three goals, came through the ranks at Peterborough, before spending time at Stevenage (loan), Preston and Middlesbrough (loan), Leicester and Millwall (loan). In the summer he spent time on trial with Huddersfield but his move broke down after Mark Robins's departure.
"I was very close to signing for Huddersfield at the start of the season but that didn't materialise," he told RTE last week.
"Since then I've just been going to the gym trying to stay fit but it's pretty difficult, you can't replicate football fitness in the gym really.
"I was offered something but then it just didn't happen, I wasn't happy with [the terms]. It was going to be more [incentive-based] and only a three-month contract so I felt I was taking all the risk.
"I said 'What happens if I pull my calf' but they were fine, [manager] Mark Robins said 'Okay we'll sort something out on Monday'.
"But then I woke up on Sunday morning and he'd got the sack or resigned. I was like: 'How's your luck?'
"They said, 'We still want to sign you,' but as time started going on, I started wondering. They said, 'We can't sign you because we have no manager.' I said I completely understand. Then they signed someone on loan!
"I don't really do anything because I'm obviously hoping that tomorrow I'm going to get a phone call"
"I rang my agent and they said, 'Oh we're still going to sign you, don't worry.'
"We told them we had [also] some interest from America.Then it was transfer deadline day and I'm watching it and I saw that they had signed Mark Hudson, another centre-half, and I didn't hear from them again. I knew that once they had signed a centre-half, that was it."
Town also include Cameron Stewart, Alex Henshall and Balint Bajner from the start.
U21s: Crowe, Emmanuel, Wyatt, Guldbrandsen, St Ledger, Clarke, Stewart, Benyu, McQueen, Bajner, Henshall. Subs: Marsden, Robinson, McLoughloin, Galvin, Ford.
Southampton: Gazzaniga, Mason, DeBayo, Gape, Mugabi, McCarthy, Isgrove, Little, McQueen, Seagers, Rowe. Subs: Cook, Istead, Willard, Sims, Lea.