Town manager Mick McCarthy says he asked about new short-term signing Sean St Ledger’s availability on a couple of occasions last season. The 29-year-old free agent agreed to join the Blues on a one-month deal this morning, having also come close to signing on loan in 2012 during Paul Jewell’s time in charge at Portman Road.
"I asked about him last year as a potential loan,” McCarthy recalled. "I asked about him when I knew he was coming out of contract, as we do all of them.
"We’re fishing around for players who are out of contract all the time that we might be able to take, especially players of the quality of him.
"Maybe a bit like Stephen Hunt last year, he found himself in the position where he was maybe promised things, he turned things down and lo and behold we’re coming up to Christmas and he hasn’t got a job.
"He did have an injury last year that kept him out for a long time. He played on Monday night and looked fit and he’ll play on Friday night at Millwall, I think he needs another game and then he’ll be ready to go.”
He says St Ledger will add to Town’s defensive strength in depth: "We’ve been working with six defenders and suddenly Christophe is suspended and Tyrone isn’t training until tomorrow and it’s still not certain he’s going to play on Saturday.
"Well, I don’t need that situation coming into the next few weeks when we can’t take anybody on loan. It’s a question of having them ready and if we do need somebody they’re here.”
St Ledger, who played for Town’s U21s in Monday’s 1-0 defeat to Southampton, tweeted: "Absolutely buzzing to have signed for [Ipswich]. It's been a long time coming but I'm eventually here!”
Meanwhile, McCarthy says he would have signed 19-year-old Chelsea midfielder John Swift, who was training with the Blues this week, on loan but for an injury.
"He just got a knock and we don’t know how long he’s going to be out for, so it’s not worth the risk, for him or for us,” he said.
"Otherwise we would have taken him, I was really pleased with him. He’s one to look at again in the future.”
Photo: ITFC