Town manager Paul Lambert hopes Alan Judge signing a new deal with the Blues will help him to tempt other players to Portman Road in the summer ahead of what’s almost certain to be a League One campaign. On Friday, Judge, 30, signed a new two-year deal which included an option for a further year.
"Judgey’s been great,” Lambert said. "The way the lad plays football is great. He’s got the freedom to play. I think his one-touch and two-touch and his vision as a footballer are fantastic.
"Hopefully that’s the case because if the club does go down, it’s going to be a big club to come to and it’s going to have a big fanbase behind it and then they’re going to be there to be shot at because they’re a big club.”
He added: "It all depends on individuals. If the individual’s a realistic guy and he’s at the right age and right mindset, you never know.
"But if it’s somebody who thinks they’re going to come here and get an incredible amount of money and things like that, then that’s not the type that’s going to fit.
"We have to have a structure and a place where we can develop young ones as well because there is a big talented group here.
"They’ve got one or two older ones here who are helping them along the way and who are good players but there has to be a structure here where people want to come for the right reasons, not for the last few years of their career or they’ve got a point to prove.”