Town have confirmed former loan striker Franny Jeffers’s return to Portman Road as a first-team coach.
TWTD revealed yesterday that Jeffers had been at Playford Road for the previous two days finalising his move to the Blues having previously been Everton’s U23s coach.
"It’s a great opportunity for me and one I couldn’t turn down,” Jeffers told the club site. "I’m an Evertonian so it was a difficult decision to leave but Ipswich is a massive club and I’m relishing the chance to help the club get back to where it should be.
"Obviously I was here as a player on loan and I loved my time here. I’ve seen some familiar faces around the place and it’s brought back some great memories. I should have stayed to be honest.
"The fans took to me and I took to them and now I’ve got another opportunity to be involved at this fantastic club.
"I’ve been a big admirer of Paul Cook and his work for many years and now to be part of his backroom team is very exciting and I can't wait to get going.”
Jeffers, 40, had a successful loan spell with the Blues between March and May 2007, scoring four times in seven starts and two sub appearances.
The former striker came through the ranks at hometown club Everton before moving to Arsenal for £8 million in June 2001.
While at Highbury he won one full England cap and scored before returning to Goodison Park on loan.
Spells with Charlton, Rangers (loan) and Blackburn followed before he moved to the Blues for his loan spell.
After his time with Town, Jeffers played at Sheffield Wednesday, in Australia with Newcastle Jets in two spells, Motherwell, Floriana in Malta and finally Accrington Stanley.
Having hung up his boots, Jeffers started voluntarily working at Everton's academy before formally joining the staff in October 2016. He has been their U23s coach since 2018.
Off the field, Jeffers has had a troubled last couple of years. In October 2019 he was fined after being convicted of sending menacing messages to his now-former wife following the breakdown of their relationship.
In August last year he was fined £500 and banned from driving for 17 months after refusing to take a roadside breath test.
Town boss Cook has various coaching positions to be filled over the summer among them his assistant, with his Chesterfield, Portsmouth and Wigan deputy Leam Richardson having been named the permanent boss of the Latics.
Contenders for that role include current U23s coach Kieron Dyer, former Blues forward Noel Hunt and ex-defender John McGreal, although the latter seems less likely as he is believed to be keen to manage a club of his own.
Cook is also looking for another a goalkeeper-coach to replace Jimmy Walker.
We understand Cook's Wigan kitman Ian Craney has also been at Playford Road over the last couple of days and is set to join his backroom team.