Town skipper Sam Morsy’s move to Kuwait SC has been confirmed.
The Egypt international travelled with his family to the Middle East to look around the club and where he would be living just over a week ago ahead of finalising a two-year deal with the Kuwait City-based Premier League champions.
Morsy, who will go down as one of the club’s most successful ever captains, joined the Blues from Middlesbrough on deadline day in 2021 and was immediately handed the captain’s armband by his former Wigan and Chesterfield boss Paul Cook.
Wolverhampton-born Morsy continued as skipper under Kieran McKenna and was the driving force in the team which won back-to-back promotions.
"Playing for and captaining Ipswich Town has been the biggest honour of my career,” Morsy said.
"We have had some incredible days and nights together and I will remember many of these for the rest of my life.
"Achieving back-to-back promotions allowed me and many of my team-mates to achieve our dreams of playing in the Premier League, so I will always feel indebted to Kieran, his staff, everyone at the club and the supporters for helping us get there.
"I will always be grateful for the love and support everyone has shown me and my family during my four years here and I’m confident the club has plenty of successful days ahead as it continues on the journey we have started.
"My time at the club may have come to an end but I will be watching from afar and will always be a Town fan.”
https://x.com/IpswichTown/status/1948430300830171181
While manager Kieran McKenna said at the weekend he would like to keep Morsy at Portman Road for the season ahead, the midfielder, who turns 34 in September, found himself on the bench on occasion during the latter stages of 2024/25 and looked set to find himself out of the XI in the season ahead with Town having made the signing of Azor Matusiwa from Rennes, who plays a similar role.
With no new contract having been offered at Town and only a year left on his current terms, Morsy looked at his options with Kuwait SC having made a highly lucrative offer. Derby County were also among those interested.
"Samy’s looking at an option that’s come up for him, a fantastic move he sees for himself and his family and securing their future as well,” McKenna said following the friendly at Blau-Weiß Linz on Saturday.
"I think it’s known how highly we think of Samy, how highly we regard Samy, he’s a legend of the club. We’d love to have him with us this season but also I think it’s right that his wishes are respected as well with what he’s done for the club.
"He’s been given permission by the club this week to have those conversations and if it progresses then it’s obvious to say he goes with everyone’s best wishes and he’ll leave a big, big hole to fill.
"And that’s the challenge for everyone in the dressing room and other people who come in to fill it as a collective.”
https://x.com/kuwaitclub/status/1948428334322299258
The Blues have not demanded a fee in order to help facilitate the switch, although they would have asked for one had he moved to an English club.
Morsy, who won two caps with the Pharaohs while the club, made 161 starts - all as captain - and four sub appearances for the Blues, scoring 11 goals, and was named the Town Player of the Year in 2023/24, the same season he picked up the PFA Championship Fans’ Player of the Year gong.
Dara O’Shea looks certain to take over the captaincy having worn the armband when Morsy was out of the side last season.