Town new boy Kevin Foley has stressed his determination to deliver the goods and turn his short-term deal into a long-term arrangement.
Foley, 31, has teamed up again with Mick McCarthy, who was in charge of Wolves when he signed the London-born Republic of Ireland international full-back from Luton in 2007 and he clocked up more than 200 first team appearances before leaving Molineux in January last year.
After impressing in training he has earned himself a deal through to the end of the current campaign but despite still waiting for his Town debut he has set his sights on remaining at Portman Road for a lot longer.
Foley said: "I think I’ve settled in quite well. The boys have made me very welcome and it’s been good to get involved in training. I feel at home here already, which is great, and it’s testament to the lads that have made me feel welcome.
"I’ve had a couple of games here and I’m building up my match fitness. In general I feel fit but nothing beats getting out on the pitch and getting those minutes under your belt, so obviously the more I play the better it will be for me.
"I was on the bench last week at Birmingham and I’ve been feeling really good. I suppose you never know until you have been thrown in at the deep end.
"But that’s the way I like it and I’ve prepared as well as I can to be ready, even if I have to come on in the first minute. You have to be ready so let’s see how it goes.”
Foley, a likely substitute tonight when Reading are the visitors to Portman Road, added: "My first job was to come in really focused, train well and try to get a deal until the end of the season.
"Now I’ve got an even bigger challenge to try to impress, do well and get into the team with a view to securing a long-term future here.”
A move to FC Copenhagen didn’t work out as planned when he dislocated his shoulder in his first game and after returning to England he spent time training with both Shrewsbury and Reading before having to make do with solo sessions on a playing field near the family home in Birmingham.
He said: "I had my shoulder operation in July and then I came back to spend three or four weeks’ rehab at St George’s Park, which was arranged through the PFA.
"Then I went to train at Shrewsbury because I knew the chief executive there. He just said to come in and train because it wasn’t too far from where I live.
"After that I got a call from Reading inviting me to train with them for a couple of weeks.
"I didn’t get anything there and come the following Monday it hit me that I had nowhere to go and train.
"You get a bit down but I had to just plug away on my own on the local playing field while I waited for an opportunity.
"It was about four weeks later that I spoke to Terry Connor and the chance to come to Ipswich came along. I just asked about coming in to train. I knew they had looked after players in the past when they needed fitness.
"They invited me in but said they couldn’t promise me anything because they had enough players.
"When Jonny [Parr] left it opened up a bit of a hole. It was just about luck and timing.
"If I hadn’t performed I wouldn’t have expected to get anything but thankfully they offered me something to the end of the season and now it’s down to me to try to prove I’m good enough to stay for the long term.”
Photo: ITFC