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Hunt Looking Forward to Facing Old Friend - Ipswich Town News

Town striker Noel Hunt is set to face friend Jason Pearce this weekend after the Leeds central defender today moved closer to joining Wigan, who are visitors to Portman Road on Saturday.

Pearce, a target for then Ipswich manager Paul Jewell when he was at Portsmouth, is on the verge of moving to the struggling Latics as boss Malky Mackay attempts to halt a form slump threatening to drag them into League One only two years after their FA Cup triumph.

Hunt, 32, said: "They are signing a good mate of mine in Jason. We were close friends and he even bought a house right across the road from me. His garage was closer to my place than his own.

"He phoned me on Wednesday night and said he had been told by Leeds that he didn’t have a future there and had to go.

"He’s delighted with the move because he wants to play and that’s something he hasn’t been doing recently.

"He’ll be hungry to prove a point if he plays on Saturday. He’s a tough boy and I’ll look forward to it — but there won’t be any banter going on.

"He doesn’t talk and will be so focused on his game that he will look straight through me and not even acknowledge me, even though we’ve been mates for years.

"Even in the tunnel, where you sometimes get lads speaking to each other, he’ll just stare ahead and won’t be distracted.

"It’s a serious, mental thing for him and having gone to a new club he’ll be looking to get off to the best possible start.”

Wigan, currently 23rd in the table, eight points from safety, are going through a major transition with the likes of Callum McManaman (West Brom), Shaun Maloney (Chicago Fire) and FA Cup final goalscorer Ben Watson (Watford) amongst those to move on, while Liam Ridgewell and Chris Herd have come in on loan from the Portland Timbers and Aston Villa respectively. Inverness Caledonian Thistle striker Billy McKay is also on his way to the DW Stadium.

Meanwhile, former Blues striker Jason Scotland has rejoined Hamilton Academical in a player-coach role having been released by the SPL club only a fortnight ago.

Another ex-Town man, defender Chris Swailes, was appointed new manager Martin Canning’s assistant last week.

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