Christophe Berra insists his focus will be on Town for the remainder of the season and has refused to be drawn on speculation about his future beyond then.
Berra, whose young daughter lives in Edinburgh, has been linked with a return to his native Scotland — both former club Hearts and Rangers are reported to be interested — and the player has even hinted that he will be heading north come the summer.
The ex-Wolves defender’s current contract is due to expire in the summer but Town have a one-year option on his services that they could trigger, although manager Mick McCarthy said recently that family comes first as far as his players are concerned.
Berra, 32, said: "I read the quote. I do have a four-year-old daughter back in Scotland and she means the world to me.
"But at the moment I’m at Ipswich and my job is to give my all until the end of the season, see it through and get as many points on the board as possible. I’m just focused on playing for Ipswich and giving 110 per cent for the last nine games.”
He admits it is tough being apart from his daughter so far away but added: "That’s life and I’m not the only one it happens to. We get on with it and I see her as much as I can — and there’s Facetime these days as well. She knows who her daddy is.”
Berra insisted he has had no contact with either Hearts or Rangers. "I don’t know where these rumours came from,” he said. "There’s always speculation and it could be anyone putting stuff in the papers. I’m totally focused on playing football for Ipswich Town.”
There has been no contact either from Town and Berra is in exactly the same position as fellow defender and skipper Luke Chambers, who went public earlier in the year about his disappointment that he had not been approached about extending his five-year stay at Portman Road.
He added: "That’s football for you — it’s a business in the end. I’m not thinking about my contract just now. I just want to focus on Ipswich.
"I think we’re all just focused on getting the season done and getting the points on the board. All the focus is on the upcoming games, starting with Cardiff on Saturday.”
Berra, who has been capped 34 times, has been included in the Scottish squad for the forthcoming friendly with Canada, which takes place next Wednesday, and the must-win World Cup qualifier against Slovenia at Hampden Park four days later.
He was in the starting line-up last time out against England at Wembley but is taking nothing for granted ahead of the next two games. "It’s a big squad, a 30-man squad, so that will be down to the manager,” said Berra. "He’ll have been watching players throughout the last three or four months.
"I did have a wee sticky spell when the team [Ipswich] weren’t doing so well but I think my performances have picked up and I think I’ve been pretty consistent.
"It’s just down to the manager. All I can do is play well and be solid for Ipswich, and see what the national manager decides.”
Asked if he had any plans to retire from the international scene, he replied: "You do sometimes think about it if you’re not playing or not being picked but I’ve always turned up and I’ll continue to do that until I feel the time is right to retire. At the moment I’m playing every week for Ipswich and I’ll just see how it goes.”