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Town Set to Sign Ex-QPR Man Ball - Ipswich Town News

TWTD understands Town are close to completing the signing of former QPR midfielder Dominic Ball.

The 26-year-old left Loftus Road at the end of the season having spent three years with the West Londoners and will join the Blues on a free transfer.

Ball primarily plays as a defensive midfielder but can also operate at centre-half or at right-back.

The Welwyn Garden City-born schemer was a youth player with Watford before moving on to Tottenham’s academy, where Blues boss Kieran McKenna was coaching at the time.

Ball, who is 6ft 2in tall, spent time on loan at Cambridge United and Rangers - where he won the Scottish Championship title and Scottish Cup during 2015/16 - before leaving White Hart Lane for Rotherham for an undisclosed fee in the summer of 2016.

Capped by Northern Ireland at U15, U16, U17, U19 and U21 levels and England at U19 and U20, Ball spent time on loan at Peterborough and Aberdeen while with the Millers.

Last season Ball made 15 starts and eight sub appearances for the Superhoops, scoring once.

In total, he made 74 starts and 25 sub appearances while at Loftus Road, scoring three times.

Ball, who has a degree from the Open University in Business Studies, recently published a book, From Winning Teams to Broken Dreams, relating his experiences and those of five fellow young players as they sought to make a career in football.

Proceeds from the book are being donated to Sarcoma UK, a charity supporting research into the bone cancer which claimed the life of one of the youngsters, Spencer McCall, who died aged 26.

TWTD's sister QPR site LoftForWords was disappointed to see him move on with their lengthy tribute concluding: "I’m disappointed he’s been released and would have kept him on for another year as an excellent bench option on a budget.

"His attitude and commitment to the club and the cause has been exemplary, absolutely first class, since the moment he got here.

"Being a professional footballer at this level, representing a club like QPR, really matters and mattered to him.”

Ball will become Town's second signing of the summer following the addition of striker Freddie Ladapo on Monday with the deal likely to be confirmed today.

The acquisition of Ball would suggest loanee Tyreeq Bakinson won't be returning on a permanent basis.

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