Former Town boss Paul Cook says he’s delighted to be back in a job having returned to his old club Chesterfield yesterday and admits the last couple of years, including his nine-month spell in charge of the Blues, have been tough.
Cook, who was sacked by Town in December after nine months at Portman Road, was previously in charge at Chesterfield between 2012 and 2015 during which time he saw them to the League Two title and League One play-offs.
The Spireites, who are second in the National League, were managerless after their Ipswich-born boss James Rowe departed by mutual consent on Friday having been suspended on January 24th.
The 54-year-old will be assisted by Danny Webb, the son of former Chelsea and QPR full-back David, first-team coach under Rowe and then caretaker-manager.
"I’m delighted,” he told the Spireites’ 1866 Sport channel. "The club’s in a great place, it’s in a great place off the pitch, the Trust is running the place really, really well. The team is doing fantastically well on the pitch.
"It’s not normal a manager gets a job in these circumstances when everything’s going so well, so I’m just delighted to be here.”
Despite his struggles at Portman Road, Cook might have been expected to walk into another League One job soon enough, so why was he prepared to take a job outside the EFL?
"Just Chesterfield Football Club,” he said. "I wouldn’t have dropped out of the League for any other team in the [National League], obviously that’s no disrespect to any other team.
"I think Chesterfield was the club that gave me my big opportunity when I was coming through, from Accrington.
"They trusted me then. Obviously I’ve watched the results from afar and have been as disappointed as the supporters, then all of a sudden to see the disappointment turning to a little bit of joy, the spirits of the club changing to the position we’re in today.
"When the opportunity came round to come back here, I’m sitting at home thinking ‘Why not?’. Why not go back and try and help them.”
The Liverpudlian admits he’s been through a tough period: "The last two years have been a difficult two years for me, if I’m being truthful, from 18 months ago when Wigan went in to administration.
"From joining Ipswich Town Football Club to work under Marcus Evans, I think Marcus left about six weeks later. He must have seen the warning signs, mustn’t he! He must have realised quickly!
"Marcus sold the club, Ipswich Town are in new ownership. To start a league campaign and only be given 20 games I find very disappointing to say the least, but that’s football today.
"My father, who has been a massive influence in my life, passed away in November, so it’s been really tough.
"Sitting at home with [wife] Joanne and Conor, Gabriella, my children, my other children, Liam, Megan and Kieron, who watch you so much, discussing it, the pitfalls of coming back here against the what-ifs if we can be successful and hopefully go up and hopefully go up again and restore the club to a place where I left it.
"That’s the challenge for me and the staff and the players. I’m delighted to be back in football.”