New Blues loan signing Brandon Williams says his move to Portman Road has been in the works for several weeks, the full-back having watched his new teammates in action on the opening day at Sunderland.
Williams has joined Town on loan from Manchester United for the season, although with no option to buy included in the deal as was speculated earlier in the week.
The former England U20 and U21 international says the Blues, whose manager Kieran McKenna and staff members Martyn Pert and Lee Grant worked or the latter case played alongside Williams at Old Trafford, got in touch after a 2022/23 campaign in which he made only one senior appearance and that in the Carabao Cup.
"It feels good to be down here, I can’t wait to start,” Williams told TownTV. "It came up a few weeks ago, got in contact with me, having seen how my year went last year - it wasn’t how I expected or how I wanted. I think it’s time for me to get out and play some football.”
Regarding the game at the Stadium of Light, he added: "I got asked to come up and watch the game, so I thought it was a good idea to bring my family there to watch the game and get a feel of what Championship football’s like as well. It was good to get there and watch the team.
"It was everything I expected from the first game of the season. Dug in well at a tough place to go to. Sunderland were in the play-offs last year and with Ipswich coming up, it was always going to be a difficult game.
"But they stuck in there, they got the first goal and I think the second goal was crucial, and then with their sending off it was a good game to watch, it was entertaining.”
Williams says both he and the team can get a lot out of the move, although he knows he’ll have a fight on his hand to win a starting place on either flank.
"A lot personally and as a team as well,” he reflected. "I’m coming here to play a lot of games and to get into the team.
"But I know there’s going to be competition as well, and that’s something that I’ll have to deal with.”