Departing Blues keeper Bartosz Bialkowski says Town will always have a place in his heart and that it was a shame that he never got to say a proper goodbye, his five-and-a-half-year spell at Portman Road having formally come to an end on Monday when he signed a permanent deal with Millwall.
"It’s just a shame I never got the chance to say a proper goodbye to the fans,” the 32-year-old told Oscar Paul of The Sun following the Lions' 3-2 defeat at Leeds United last night.
"Hopefully I will have that chance in the future. I spent a fantastic five years and really enjoyed my time there.
"It was the right time to move on for me, and probably for the club as well, but Ipswich will always have a place in my heart.
"They were absolutely brilliant with me but sometimes in football you need to make a decision to move on.”
Having been the club’s Player of the Year for three successive seasons, Bialkowski’s final campaign was a disappointing one with Poland international having been in and out of the team as the Blues were relegated to League One.
However, the former Notts County man dismissed suggestions that there was a bitter end to his spell at Town.
"Not at all,” he insisted. "Obviously we went down, which wasn’t ideal, but overall I enjoyed my time.
"I didn’t enjoy last season obviously for some reasons but overall it was a fantastic time for me and my family — the club has always been great to my wife and kids.
"Even on Monday when I signed a contract with Millwall I had so many messages on Twitter.
"Obviously my missus was happy I signed for Millwall but she had a tear in her eye because it had ended. But it’s a new chapter and I wanted to make the deal permanent, so I am happy.
"We have got a home there and that’s the plan [to stay in the area]. It’s not too far from Millwall so the plan is for my missus and kids to stay there because it’s a difficult decision for us to move everyone to London.
"It’s difficult for the kids so we’ve made the decision for them to stay there and I am going to commute.”