Town striker Luke Varney was close to joining a League One club — believed to be Port Vale — before a call on his mobile from Mick McCarthy saw him heading in the opposite direction and back to Suffolk.
Varney said: "It was out of the blue what happened. I had spoken to Mick a couple of weeks ago and I was picking his brain about clubs that had rung me about a possible move. He told me a few had also been in touch with him and we just left it at that.
"I spoke to another two clubs, both in League One, but I was obviously trying my hardest to stay in the Championship. Then I had a call at 8.30 last Thursday morning and it said on my phone ‘Mick McCarthy’. I thought he would be calling to ask me about players.
"I was actually going out for a run at the time so I asked if I could call him back a bit later. ‘Hold on,’ he said, ‘I’ve got something for you.’ He asked if I fancied coming back and I said ‘Of course I do but can I still ring you back?’
"Typical of Mick, when I got back from my run and rang him back he said he’d found someone else. I said ‘You’re joking, I’ve just told the other clubs who contacted me that I’m no longer interested’.
"Thankfully, he said he still wanted me and said, ‘See you down here tomorrow morning’. Suddenly, from sitting at home every day I was off to pack for the trip and I couldn’t wait to get down here.
"It’s absolutely brilliant to be back. There’s been no need for any settling-in process — for obvious reasons — but on my first day the lads hid my clothes and cut my laces, the sort of stuff they do to welcome a new signing and which I’m well used to by now.
"I can cope with all that but I admit I’m trying to get out of singing a song, which is the normal initiation. This is my third time with the club but I’m told Hunty [Stephen Hunt] did it about 17 times so I might need to get a song ready just in case.”
Varney has spent a lot of time away from the family home during his career but his wife is 100 per cent behind his return to Town. He added: "I had promised her after the final game of last season ‘That’s it, I’ll be living at home now’ but she was all for it because she knows the place and how much I loved it here.
"It means a lot to be staying in the Championship and prolonging my career at this level for as long as possible was always the aim. My wife jumped at the chance as much as I did.”