Striker Collin Quaner says Town fans are now seeing the best of him, the on-loan Huddersfield man having scored both the Blues’ goals in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Bolton.
Quaner, 27, moved to Portman Road on loan in January but didn’t net his first Town goal until the 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest just prior to last month’s international break, his ninth start for the Blues plus another appearance from the bench.
Saturday’s goals were his second and third for Town, for whom he has now made 10 starts and two sub appearances.
"Finally a win and we deserved it today so we’re very happy,” Quaner said after Saturday’s match. "We’ve not been quite able to get over the line in so many matches but we have here.
"I’m happy to have have hit the second goal particularly, there wasn’t much time, I had to turn quickly but I got hold of it.
"From now it’s recovery and the next game that is important. I’m a little sad about not getting a hat-trick, but maybe the next game!”
He added: "On my personal form, it’s good to get games and I needed time on the pitch, playing through the middle and that’s what I got today.
"The outstanding support of 1,400, we’re so grateful to them and we ask them to keep it up.”
The Dusseldorf-born striker or wideman had made only two December sub appearances for the Terriers this season prior to joining the Blues and he feels supporters are now starting to see him at the top of his game.
"I think you’re seeing the best of me,” he reflected. "Confidence is so important to a striker. I’m experiencing this right now. I just want to keep in the team and I always do my best.
"During my loan spell at Ipswich, I needed to play and get that confidence back, so I’m really grateful to the club, the gaffer and the fans.
"As for the game today, if a penalty had been awarded I would definitely have taken it!”
He says the win, Town’s first away from home since September and only their fourth victory this season, was a significant one, even though it almost certainly will have no impact on the impending relegation to League One.
"It’s the first away win for a long, long time, an important result,” he said. "In the first half we deserved it, in the second we had to win the battle to get the result over the line.”
Having played down the middle on his own on Saturday, Quaner believes he could form a potent partnership with both Kayden Jackson and Will Keane: "I can imagine playing with Kayden up front but also with Will Keane.”
Quaner is contracted to his parent club Huddersfield for another season and Blues boss Paul Lambert said after Saturday’s game that the German frontman would be too expensive for Town to bring back to Portman Road next season.
"I can’t say what will happen, I’m still on a year’s contract but we’ll have to see what happens at the end,” Quaner said when asked about his future with the Terriers, who were recently relegated back to the Championship.
"But it’s certainly a big lift for Ipswich that players are signing contracts, including Alan Judge.
"We’ve got a lot of young players and it looks like most of the guys will be here next season.”
Meanwhile, Town's table-topping U23s are in action against Leeds at Elland Road this evening (KO 7pm).