New signing Conor Chaplin says the chance to work with his Portsmouth boss Paul Cook for a second time and the club’s ambition were why he chose to drop into League One with the Blues from Championship Barnsley.
The 24-year-old, pictured above with fellow new addition George Edmundson at Colchester last night, joined Town yesterday on a three-year deal, the Blues and Tykes having agreed a deal understood to be in the region of £750,000.
"I know the way the gaffer likes to work and the style of play he likes to implement is something that excites me,” he told iFollow Ipswich.
"To drop down a division, the ambition of the club was something that really excited me. I don’t really want to play in League One longer than I have to, I’ve obviously had that experience in the Championship, which has made me hungry to play more there, to stay there.
"That’s what I want coming here, ambition from the club that matches the ambition that I’ve got, so that’s something I can’t wait to working hard towards and make happen.
"Obviously from the outside it looks silly dropping from the Championship to League One, but first and foremost this is a massive football club and I know the ambition having spoken to people at the football club. The ambition that’s here is exciting and that’s something that really excites me.
"As a player you always want to play in good teams, you always want to play in teams that are ambitious and want to go places, so that’s something which really drew me to the club, along with the manager as well.”
Chaplin has played at Portman Road once previously for Pompey as an 18-year-old in a third round FA Cup tie in January 2016 in which he netted what appeared to be his side’s 86th-minute winner having come on as a sub, prior to Ryan Fraser grabbing a perhaps dubious leveller two minutes later.
The new Blues signing remembers that day fondly: "It was when I was with Portsmouth in League Two in the FA Cup. I scored. My family was all here in the away end, special memories. This is the first time I’ve been back since. Really nice memories.”
Reflecting on the season opener against Morecambe a week on Saturday, he added: "I can’t wait, I’m aware of the number of season tickets that have been sold. It’s going to be unbelievable come next Saturday, I’m really looking forward to it, I’m really excited.”