New loan signing Toumani Diagouraga says he’s delighted to have joined the Blues for the remainder of the season and hopes to help them climb the table during his time at Portman Road. The 29-year-old old Leeds midfielder’s move to Town was confirmed earlier in the week.
"I'm very happy, very delighted to get the deal done and I'm just pleased to be here now," he told Ipswich Player HD.
"It's a move that happened pretty quickly as I only heard about the interest at the end of last week, but I'm looking forward to getting started and playing some football now.
"The manager has said he wants me to come in and help the team, play my best and help the side climb up the table. That is exactly what we need to do and I'll be looking to play my part in that respect.
"I'm ready to play and hopefully I can come in, get some game-time and help the team straight away. I haven't played for a while with Leeds but I'm focused on Ipswich now and enjoying myself here.”
ðŸ"¹ | Midfielder @toums20 has said he's come to Portman Road to help #itfc 'climb the table' and is itching to get out on the pitch... pic.twitter.com/FwksPKCv1R
— Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) January 25, 2017
Born in Paris of Malian descent, Diagouraga played youth football with Paris St Germain before moving on to Watford, where he made a handful of appearances and spent time on loan with Swindon, Rotherham and Hereford, who he joined on a permanent basis in 2008.
Spells with Peterborough, Brentford and Portsmouth (loan) followed, before he joined Leeds last January.
He went on to made 14 starts and 16 sub appearances for the Whites, scoring three goals, but his only game this season was the 3-0 defeat at QPR on the opening day of the campaign.
The 6ft 2in tall midfielder, who is contracted to Leeds until the summer of 2018, is surplus to requirements at Elland Road and had been close to a loan move to Rotherham, but that deal broke down last week.
Diagouraga, who was the Brentford Supporters' Player of the Year in their 2014/15 Championship play-off campaign, has been handed the Town number 37 shirt.