Exiting Blues skipper Luke Chambers says his time at Town has been a fantastic journey and one that he’s proud of but admits that it's still to fully sink in that he's moving on and wasn't expecting to leave this summer.
Chambers, 35, joined the Blues on a free transfer from Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2012 during Paul Jewell’s time as boss and went on to make 395 start and one sub appearance for Town, most of them wearing the captain’s armband.
"It's been a surreal few days, but everything in football comes to an end and there are rarely fairytales,” the Kettering-born centre-half told iFollow Ipswich in a lengthy interview.
"The way it's happened is a little bit disappointing, but it's only really when you leave a role or a place of work that people show their appreciation.
"The messages and phone calls I have received from not just friends and family but people in football that you wouldn't even think of has been pretty overwhelming.
"It probably hasn't sunk in that I've worked my last day here, but my time at the club has been a fantastic journey and it's one that I am very proud of. I'm proud of my contribution to the football club and I think most people you speak to would echo that.”
He admits he wasn’t anticipating his time at Town ending at this point.
"To be brutally honest I didn't think I would be leaving the club this summer,” he continued. "We'd had conversations in the past and I don't feel it's the right time for me to leave but that is out of my hands.
"You can't dwell on it, though, otherwise it'll eat you away inside. I'm sure I have unfinished at the football club so potentially in the future, who knows what is around the corner.
"For now I want to continue playing but the feeling I have in me is that this club and place is going to be very difficult to beat. I have to be excited about whatever is next for me.
"My wife and parents and children say 'you must be so sad' and I say 'yeah I am, but football goes on’.
"The club will continue without me and in a couple of months fans will be excited about new signings and by that point I will have started my new chapter.
"I could have been playing in front of the fans on the last day of the season and it would have been great, but that's not the case and behind the scenes I have still had a really positive reception.
"My love for the club has grown from day one to where it is now, and now it's time for me to take my experiences into my next chapter.”
Like his friend Cole Skuse, also leaving the club this summer after a long spell at Town, Chambers cites the 2014/15 play-off season as the most memorable of his nine years at Portman Road.
"The play-offs season was fantastic when you look at the players we had in that squad and what the manager was able to put together with the resources he had.
"If we had been able to capitalise on our position at Christmas time then things might have been very different, and we probably wouldn't be sitting where we are now.
"The Charlton game was brilliant when Noel [Hunt] came on and scored. They [Sky] stuck a camera in our faces 30 seconds after we had just won the game in injury time with 4,000 proper Ipswich fans in the away end so that was a good moment and what a day that was. It's unfortunate that we missed out to that lot up the road.”
Chambers, who has been tipped to move to Colchester United this summer, thanked fans for making him feel at home and sharing so many post-match celebrations.
"Just thank you for taking to me from day one really,” the one-time Northampton defender added. "They demanded the fist pump which became quite iconic and it's a shame we didn't see it on better occasions sometimes.
"But it's been a hell of a ride and I thank everyone that has been a part of it and everyone that has supported me.
"Yes, in football you always have your critics and sometimes you don't appreciate what you've got until it's gone, but thanks to everyone for making me feel at home and allowing me to live my life so well in the area.
"I hope I've been a good guy at this football club and a good player and thank you to everyone because it's something I will never forget.”