New Blues first-team coach Franny Jeffers says the chance to join Paul Cook’s staff at Portman Road was too good an opportunity to turn down.
The 40-year-old’s appointment was confirmed last Wednesday, the one-time Blues loanee having previously been U23s coach at his hometown club Everton.
Former striker Jeffers had a successful loan spell with the Blues between March and May 2007, scoring four times in seven starts and two sub appearances.
"I'm very excited about this," Jeffers told iFollow Ipswich. "I played here many years ago and I've seen some familiar faces around the building which was nice and brought back some good memories.
"I loved my time here, although it was short, and I had a great relationship with the fans. They really took to me and I took to them and now it's great to be back.
"It was a difficult decision to leave Everton as the club means a lot to me, but this was certainly too good an opportunity to turn down.
"It's an opportunity I'm relishing and I am looking forward to working with the manager, the coaching staff and the players.
"We know we have to improve, and in particular with scoring goals, but we do have talent here and it's about putting it together. I want to play my part and help this club get back where it belongs.”
Jeffers joins Gary Roberts as a first-team coach, while Ian Craney has also been recruited as a coach with it now appearing unlikely that an assistant manager will be added to the staff.
It seems likely Kieron Dyer, who has been working with the first-team squad since Cook took charge, will remain as U23s coach.