It may fill some players with dread but Town new boy Luke Varney has been around the block often enough to deal with his initiation, which is likely to take place on the eve of next Sunday’s eagerly awaited East Anglian derby clash with promotion rivals Norwich at Carrow Road.
Varney, whose loan move from Blackburn takes to nine the number of league clubs he has represented since stepping up from non-league Quorn 12 years ago, laughed: "No one’s said anything yet and I think they’re trying to spring it on me.
"But I know the score — I’ve done it a few times — so I’ll start practising later. I normally go for Ben E King’s Stand by Me, which is easy enough.”
The main focus is on tonight’s home clash with Birmingham City but once that fixture is out of the way everyone’s attention will switch to Sunday’s cross-border showdown, a game that always captures the imagination but is also significant because of the respective clubs’ promotion ambitions.
Varney revealed: "I’ve got a good friend who’s a Norwich fan and I’m getting a bit of stick from him.
"Nothing would please me more than to stick it up him but the main priority for now is to beat Birmingham and Norwich can wait.”
Meanwhile, Varney has expressed his sympathy for ex-Leeds colleague Noel Hunt, whose knee injury will keep him out for the rest of the season and necessitated manager Mick McCarthy’s move into the loan transfer window.
Varney added: "I feel for Noel, who is a good lad. As soon as he scored his first goal for Ipswich I texted him straight away and said I was delighted for him. But now I’m here and I realise he’s got such a horrible injury.
"It’s so disappointing for him but he’s in good spirits. The lads have stuck round him and he’s been the same with me, welcoming me and hoping I’ll do the same as he did with his start. We’re looking after him and he’ll be fine.
"I spoke to another of my old Leeds team-mates, goalkeeper Paddy Kenny, before I confirmed my move here. Paddy had nothing but good things to say but, to be honest, once I’d spoken to Mick it was enough anyway and things got sorted pretty quickly.”
Varney is not the only newcomer at Portman Road, arriving at the same time as midfielder Richard Chaplow checked in from Millwall, and he said: "I think that always helps and it was the case at the last couple of clubs I’ve gone to, where you don’t feel it’s just you that’s new to it all.
"Richard and I are in the same hotel and the rest of the lads have been brilliant. It wouldn’t have mattered if I’d come in on my own because I’ve settled in really quickly and I’ve got the lads and the staff to thank for that.
"Richard didn’t have the best of sessions on Monday — he got the yellow bib — but other than that he’s been very good. He’s very tidy and can spot a pass as well so that’s something I’ll be looking forward to.
"We’re both just hoping to add anything we can to the squad because the lads have been fantastic this season.”
The main influence on Varney’s career has been Dario Gradi, the former Crewe boss who first spotted the striker’s potential and took him into the Football League in 2003.
Varney recalled: "After I signed for Crewe it wasn’t long before I did my shoulder so I was out for a few months. It was quite slow, my first year, and I was probably a bit worried that having come in from non-league I wouldn’t get a great deal of time.
"But Dario gave me another contract, which was a massive boost for me, and then a couple of clubs came in for me. I signed another contract, which was a boost for him, and we worked really well together.
"A lot of the lads who didn’t sign contracts have gone out of the game but I had a lot of trust in him. He promised to let me know about clubs coming in for me at the right time and I think he did that.”
Now, of course, he is looking to impress Town boss Mick McCarthy and added: "Mick doesn’t say a great deal out on the training ground but you know he’s there and he’s got a presence, which is what you want.
"If he comes into the dressing room the lads are all hands to the deck and it’s a good place to be.”
Photo: ITFC