Massimo Luongo has revealed that Ipswich Town has got him falling back in love with football after his goal helped the Blues to a 2-0 home win over Shrewsbury — and stretch their winning run to six games - and would be up for extending his time at Portman Road.
George Hirst headed in a 15th minute opener before Luongo, who has become a crucial presence in the middle of the park in recent games, capped his fine form with a second six minutes after the restart as Ipswich cruised to another three points.
After a difficult six months at Middlesbrough, where Luongo struggled for game time, he has now formed a formidable partnership with Sam Morsy with Ipswich maintaining the pressure on top two Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth.
Summing up the game, Luongo said: "It was a really good win. We knew the problems they were going to cause, we knew we were going to have a lot of the ball so we knew we couldn’t get too overconfident or get carried away by having so much possession.
But I think we did well. I think in the first half, they did cause us problems how we thought they would. We were probably a little slack. But in the second half we were so much more dominant and the goal really helped as well.
"I said before that it was a pretty simple goal [Hirst’s], cross it and a header. I think that comes from lots of good relationships all over the pitch.
"Obviously, two high quality pieces of play — a good cross and a great header. The second goal was really good.
"Even at half-time, we were trying to adjust my position a little to try to expose them down the left hand side. And it was true as I was really free and was trying to get more goals. It just fell to me and I managed to get in the box, which I have been doing a lot lately.
"They tried to play and 2-0 didn’t seem as comfortable as we would have liked it to be. But we kind of enjoy defending now, see the game out, do the right thing, because we know we are going to cause problems and create chances.”
It was Luongo’s second ever goal in a town shirt, but amazingly the last one came almost 11 years ago in a 2-1 defeat to lowly Carlisle United in the Capital One Cup.
And the Australian knows he could have had more in yesterday’s dominant display at Portman Road, admitting: "We won’t talk about the header. The second one, I probably just got a nose bleed. Because I really wanted to shoot and the ball wouldn’t set and I just fluffed it to the side.
"The way we play, against teams like that, every game we play has been a different style. I think I’ve done well adjusting to the different types of teams we have played so hopefully we can do more and I will keep trying to get in the box.”
Luongo, who was on loan at Ipswich in 2011, has quickly endeared himself to the Town fans — and the feelings are clearly mutual.
He said: "It was a tough six months at Middlesbrough. When you are playing, you realise how much you love and enjoy football. I enjoyed it up at Boro, great lads, great training facilities, just never got on the pitch.
"Even here, I’ve had to wait a few weeks to get a chance. But I’ve been enjoying every minute of it. I almost took it as if I play, I play, but I’ll try and help as much off the pitch and be a good person in the dressing room. Try and help the young lads, Cam Humphreys for example, and be around that.”
Luongo’s short-term contract, won during a trial spell during December and January, currently runs to the end of the season, would he like to stay for longer?
"Yes, for sure. It’s a really great place to be at the moment. Of course, we are winning but it is a positive environment and the manager and the people upstairs have done really well to create that — and the players they have brought in.”
When asked about his first goal for Ipswich, Luongo recalled: "It was Carlisle away. We lost that game, we stayed up there as we also lost to Blackpool 6-0. I was buzzing to get the goal but it wasn’t a great time. It was a long time ago.
"I had my 20th birthday here, a long time ago! Not a lot has changed, but also a lot has changed. I was too young, I think, to realise what was going on upstairs, who was running it and what they wanted.
"Now, I understand how football works and I can see there is a big push to do well, for the town, and get promoted and get as high as possible. There is massive ambition here.
"We’re in a good place. But just like the game today, you’ve got to keep doing it and keep doing your jobs and having discipline.
"You’ve got to keep doing the little things, getting your massages and ice baths, and then the rest should take care of ourselves, if we keep applying ourselves the way we are."
With next weekend’s game at fellow promotion-chasing Barnsley postponed due to international call-ups, Luongo welcomed the rest.
He said: "I need this two-week break now. I probably needed it after Bolton, but that’s fine. I think that first week, of three games in a week, was tough, but I’m experienced enough to deal with it and adjust my position or be behind the ball rather than box-to-box.
"The Bolton game was tough as it was the most physical game I have been in for a while. They are big boys, they run a lot and were strong.
But we got through it. Players have helped me out, the manager has looked after me when he can. I’ll just try and keep going and getting stronger.
"Things are going really good. We try not to get too high and we have a little break now so we can analyse a few things and not worry about a game for a while. It is good. We definitely seem like a team.”
Luongo also revealed the impact Jason Schechterle had on the group after he returned to Portman Road in the build-up to yesterday’s game.
The midfielder explained: "I met him this week. I think a few of the new lads and new staff got to sit down with him and hear his story. Personally, I think everything away from football is sort of how he affected me. His message is so powerful, what he has been through, and I just think it was lovely for him to be there. We had a bit of motivation and we wanted to do well for him.
"But he sort of looks at us like family and so it is nice to have someone like that who is so inspirational. And not just in football, but in life, I can look back and think of a few messages he said to take into my life and my family.
"For anything you do, if you look after that side of it, you can take it into your job or football. It’s how his life has been and how you approach anything.
"You go a goal down and we will face it full on. Whatever we need to do, we will do it rather than take a backward step. I think he’s been really strong in pushing that message.”