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Enjoyable Trip - Gaardsøe - Ipswich Town News

Town defender Thomas Gaardsøe says he has enjoyed his return to Denmark on the Town tour. The former Aalborg man told TWTD it was good to catch up with a few old friends, although he would have liked to have played a bigger part in the 1-0 loss to his old club AaB.

Gaardsøe said at training this morning: "It was nice to come back and see everybody, although it was a shame that I didn't play longer, but that's football.

"My aim this season is to become a regular in the first team and I'm sure that as there are so many games I'll get some opportunities.

"Preferably I will play central defence as that is where I feel most comfortable.

Thomas was unsurprised that the small band of travelling Town fans in Denmark received a warm welcome from Aalborg's Supporters' Club.

Town fans joined their hosts on their coach trip to the match, played an hour away from Aalborg in Frederikshavn.

After the game a number of Town supporters joined their Aalborg compatriots in their bar where the Town contingent were plied with free drinks until the early hours.

Gaardsøe's signature and a farewell message are on the wall of the apartment which houses the Supporters' Club offices, and the defender wasn't surprised at the welcome the travelling Blue army received: "They are always nice in the Supporters' Club and they have an excellent apartment."

The defeat at Aalborg was, says the defender, a lot down to Aalborg being fitter: "They had played four games already and it was our first. I'm looking forward to the game tonight."

This morning the players enjoyed a training session on pitches beside the Farum stadium which doubles as a hotel. The players' rooms have views of the pitch and can be converted into executive boxes.

The stadium's facilities have gone down well with both the squad and the management. The gym equipment has been praised along with the tennis courts and swimming pools. The state-of-the-art stadium even has retractable floodlights.

Denmark itself has also won quite a few admirers with at least one member of the squad saying they want to return for a weekend break in the future. Yesterday the players spent time in Copenhagen, a scene of Suffolk partying towards the end of last year.

Tonight's game kicks off at 6pm UK time and a Town victory is expected, despite the lack of games when compared to Danish sides.

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