Town have signed Millwall midfielder Richard Chaplow on a month's loan but with an agreement for him to stay for the rest of the season. The 30-year-old has been training with the Blues this week.
"I’m delighted with that one,” manager Mick McCarthy said. "He’s played a number of positions, either wide positions or centrally in midfield.
"He’s showed what a capable, comfortable player he is at this level training with us, he’s just come in and fitted in. Like Luke Varney, he’ll cover the play-offs."
He says neither Chaplow or fellow new loanee Varney, who are both out of contract in the summer, have been promised anything beyond the chance to impress him or other managers between now and the end of the season.
"I don’t promise anybody anything,” the Town boss said. "Once they come under the roof, they’ve got a chance.
"If they do really well and they shake the place up and they score goals and they get in the team, that’s the opportunity but I don’t tell them lies to get them down here.
"It’s ‘I want you on loan, that’s the opportunity because you’re out of contract, whether it’s me, whether it’s somebody else’.
"They both want to play. And the other thing is that we’re in the best position that if they do rip it up and they are under the roof and they might want to stay. It’s a good position to have for us.”
Chaplow, who will wear the Town number 14 shirt, has fallen out of favour at the Den with the last of his 10 appearances this season having come in Millwall’s 4-0 FA Cup replay defeat at Bradford City a month ago.
The midfielder says the switch ends his time at the Den: "My loan move to Ipswich pretty much brings my time to an end at Millwall.
"Things never really got going, if that be last year through injury or this year year by lack of opportunities.
"I'd like to go on record to thank everyone that welcomed me from the start and I have faith that results can be achieved and survival reached. But I have a new challenge and I can't wait."
Chaplow started his career with Burnley before moving on to West Brom in 2005. The Accrington-born midfielder spent time on loan at Southampton while a Baggies player, prior to joining Preston in 2008.
Another spell on loan with the Saints followed in 2010, before he made the switch more permanent in January 2011.
A former England U19, U20 and U21 international, Chaplow moved to Millwall initially on loan in March 2013, signing a two-year deal with the Lions that summer after his Southampton contract was terminated.
Photo: ITFC