Town new boy Leon Best believes his working relationship with manager Mick McCarthy is already “perfect” and can’t wait to make his debut at Reading this evening.
Best, 29, was a free agent when McCarthy offered him a chance to train with the club last month, later signing him on a short-term deal through to the end of the current campaign.
The Republic of Ireland striker, most recently with Rotherham but released at the end of last season, said: "So far Mick has been perfect for me. He’s an honest man and he tells me what he wants me to do.
"That’s definitely something I need. I need a manager like that who knows what he wants and all I can do is try to give it to him.
"When I first spoke with Mick he said he wanted me to come in and train so that he could have a look at me, so when he told me that he wanted to sign me I was delighted. It was the lift I needed.
"It’s hard when you are without a club and five or six years ago I never thought I’d be going into clubs on trial.
"But as Mick said, it wasn’t a matter of bringing me in to see if I’d lost my ability, it was a matter of seeing where I was and whether I would come in, work hard and was what he needed. It’s good to know he sees something in me and for that I’m very thankful.
"Honesty, for me, is a massive thing. Mick is 100 per cent honest and I can see that already. He looks me in the eye and tells me exactly what he wants me to do. He’s similar to Neil Warnock in that respect. He’s also honest so it’s the same kind of thing.
"I did well under Neil at Rotherham last season and I feel I’ve got lots to offer Ipswich. It’s a matter of proving myself and others wrong as well. I’ve got a few targets that I want to reach so it’s about hard work and I’m looking forward to it.
"Even when I was scoring goals in the Premier League I had doubters. You always have doubters but it’s yourself that you have to convince.
"The doubters are always in your ear but it’s about not going with them and not always following them. If you hear things a lot you might start to believe them. It’s a matter of striving for the highest.”
Best said he had a few other options to consider but added: "I’d heard some amazing things about Ipswich and now I’ve seen it for myself I know it’s the right thing for me.
"I was training with West Brom and keeping fit. I went there with no fitness but I could feel myself getting sharper. Then as soon as Tony [Pulis] called me in to say Mick wanted me here to train I came straight down.
"It wasn’t a case of turning down Premier League football. I spoke with Tony and he did me a favour in letting me go in there — before that I was chasing my kids round the garden for a bit of fitness.
"As soon as I heard about Ipswich’s interest — to come in with the possibility of a contract — I was straight down here.”