Luke Chambers has admitted to being saddened by the club’s failure to speak to him about a new contract to replace his current deal, which as it stands expires in June.
While manager Mick McCarthy has offered a strong hint that Town will probably exercise their option of a 12-month extension, the lack of certainty about his Portman Road future is clearly playing on the mind of the ex-Nottingham Forest defender who has clocked up 219 appearances since being signed in July 2012 by then boss Paul Jewell.
Chambers said: "I’ve got six months left on my contract and the club have an option for another year. But nothing’s been said yet, so I don’t know what’s going to happen, to be honest.
"I’m very happy here and I think people have seen the way I play for the football club. I think I’ve given absolutely everything, both on and off the pitch. So that’s where we are. I’d like to stay but I just don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Chambers, his wife and their young family are settled in Ipswich but a national newspaper recently linked him with a move to Wolves. When asked if there was any truth in the report, the player responded: "You’ll have to ask them. I don’t know anything more than what I’ve read.
"There have been a couple of conversations with the club but that’s about it. So it is what it is, it’s football.
"There’s been a lot of talk about loyalty in the game but I don’t think there is. We’ll just have to wait and see.
"I think the club should have done something before now but it’s not something I really want to get into. Do I feel let down? I don’t know really.
"It’s a very difficult situation and it’s difficult to talk about. Anything I say can be misconstrued. Am I frustrated? I’ll probably keep that to myself but I haven’t missed many games in my time here and to be down to the last six months of my contract is a little bit strange.”
But while his future remains unresolved, at least for the time being, Chambers is loath to criticise either owner Marcus Evans or manager Mick McCarthy at a time when Town are under pressure from fans, whose interest is on the wane after a depressing run of form.
The captain said: "I can never criticise the owner because he’s put in a hell of a lot of money and it’s not my position to criticise him. He brought me into the club, he’s looked after me with a good contract and I’ve been here a long time. We’ve had relative success.
"There may be things where you think ‘If we’d just done that’ but at the end of the day it’s his club, he’s spent a fortune on the training ground and he’s got his plan.
"All I can talk about is the first team squad and I do think we need some signings. But he’ll be trying to do deals.
"As players we would like two or three players to come through the door and make a difference. The club will be desperately trying to make signings who can make a difference for us.
They’re not just going to bring in anyone and they never have done that. I think most of the players who have been brought in have generally made an impact and we need that now.
"We’d love to have some new players in because we don’t want to stand still. We’re not just happy coming in to pick up our wages and going home. We want to win. It’s as hard for us and we feel it every bit as much as the fans.
"Do you think we want to go out there, lose and then get booed and abused? I don’t. I don’t need to do that.
"I’ve played about 600 games in my career and I don’t need to go out to play on a Saturday and be unhappy.
"I want to be happy, as the fans do. They want to be entertained and they want to be happy winning games, just as we do.”