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Skuse: Exciting Times Ahead - Ipswich Town News

Blues midfielder Cole Skuse believes there are exciting times ahead at Portman Road under new manager Paul Hurst, Town having announced that the 43-year-old had signed a three-year deal along with his Shrewsbury assistant Chris Doig earlier today.

"It’s a great appointment, brilliant for the club,” Skuse told BBC Radio Suffolk at the Suffolk Show this morning seconds after being told Hurst was his new boss by MD Ian Milne. "It’s been doing the rounds for a couple of weeks but nice to get it done.

"I’ve not come across him, but his CV speaks for itself, I think. He’s very highly thought of within the football world, he’s had three or four promotions.

"I saw the Shrewsbury game at the weekend, they were unlucky not to get a result and he seems as if he conducts himself very well. He comes across very well, so exciting times ahead.”

Skuse, 32, admits it’s been an unsettling spell for the squad since the March announcement that former boss Mick McCarthy would be moving on in the summer and then his earlier than anticipated exit last month.

"The air of uncertainty, not just among players but also among fans is a strange situation to be in,” the Bristolian reflected.

"So to get something confirmed today is good for everyone, to know who is in charge, to try and figure out what he’s about and it’ll be interesting to see what he’s like in pre-season.”

He added: "It is a fresh start. Mick did a great job for five years at the club and a lot of players would thank him massively for that, and he did do a fantastic job.

"But, like I say, it’s a fresh start, it’s a clean slate for everyone. He’s inherited what’s definitely not a broken squad, he’s inherited a very, very good squad. Once everyone’s back fit and fully flying it’s a great squad.

"So, it’s exciting times, pre-season is going to be interesting, it’s a different pre-season for everyone, we’ve had the same pre-season for five years, it’s going to be a fresh start for everyone.”

Skuse says the squad which is currently due to return to Playford Road for the start of pre-season training on June 22nd is very united.

"When Mick left, we had Bryan [Klug], Chris [Hogg] and Nashy [Gerard Nash] in charge and you could see a real togetherness there, the group really came together, it was really tight.

"We’ve got some very good characters in the dressing room, that’s a credit to the previous gaffer, he signed the right personnel.

"Obviously, you had to be very good at football, but you had to be a very good character to fit into the dressing room.

"[A bad apple] can upset everyone. We’ve got a great dressing room, great personnel and the new manager is inheriting a very good squad and a very good dressing room.”

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