New first-team coach Gary Roberts admits his new role came sooner than he anticipated it would with the winger still a player with Accrington Stanley until earlier this week when he got the call to Portman Road with his former gaffer Paul Cook.
Liverpool-born Roberts joined the Blues as a player from Stanley initially on loan in October 2006 and went on to make 45 starts and 14 sub appearances for Town, scoring four times before departing for Huddersfield in July 2008. He subsequently played for Cook at Chesterfield, Portsmouth and Wigan.
The 36-year-old left the Latics last summer and joined Welsh side Bala Town before returning to Accrington for what proved to be a brief spell in January.
"I was obviously playing at the time and I spoke to the gaffer,” Roberts told iFollow Ipswich.
"He said 'how do you fancy getting down here to your old club?' The opportunity had come up and as I was coming to the end of my career, so I thought there’s not a better time to come and help.
"It makes it easier that I’ve played for the club and know a few faces so I jumped at the chance.
"It’s quite difficult, playing football for so many years and then stopping. It’s quite hard but this was my plan. It’s come a bit sooner than I thought but I’m ready to do it.
"I’m ready to help the gaffer, help the lads, and hopefully get up that league.
"We’ve worked together for a number of years now. I played with him a long time ago and then he was my manager for a good few years.
"We had success together and we’ve always got on. He trusts me and he must think there’s something in me to help him, help the squad get better and push up that league.”