Rotherham boss Paul Warne says he wouldn’t be surprised if Town re-signed Grant Ward once the midfielder is fit enough to return to action.
Ward, who Warne has spoken to about a return to the Millers, with whom he had a spell on loan in 2015/16, is still undergoing his rehab having suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury on Boxing Day.
The 24-year-old was released by the Blues at the end of last season but has remained at Town as clubs are obliged to get players fit before they depart.
"I did speak to Wardy a few weeks ago, just touching base with him to see where he’s at,” Warne told the Rotherham Advertiser.
"If he does reach out to me – because I don’t want to hassle him like a stalker – and say he’d consider coming here or wants to have a chat, I’d definitely meet him. One hundred per cent.
"Whether I’d have the funds to do anything, I’d have to green light that with the chairman. If it’s something I could do, I would be keen on doing it, yeah.”
Ward was reportedly close to signing for the Millers in the summer but in the end preferred to keep his options open.
"I try to stay away from signing players who have been here before,” Warne added.
"Grant is a little bit different in that he was very young when he first came here.
"He’s coming through a bad injury, but then a couple of the lads I signed in the summer have been through that as well. He’s now running on the grass.
"He still hasn’t got anything. I wouldn’t be surprised if, when he’s fit, Ipswich re-engage and re-sign him. That’s sort of what I get a feel of.”
Ward made 75 starts and 23 sub appearances for the Blues, scoring eight goals, having signed from Tottenham in the summer of 2016, and famously netted a hat-trick on his debut in the 4-2 victory over Barnsley at Portman Road.
Elsewhere, former Blues midfielder Paul Anderson, 31, has rejoined his former club Northampton having left Plymouth after a short spell in the summer.