Town striker George Hirst has hailed Jens Cajuste as one of the best players he has ever played with following the Swede’s return to the club on loan from Napoli earlier this week.
Cajuste was widely regarded as one of Town’s best players during the Premier League season last term, narrowly missing out on the Supporters’ Player of the Year award to Liam Delap by just 36 votes.
The midfielder was registered in time but did not feature in the 1-1 opening night draw with Birmingham City on Friday, but Hirst agrees that Cajuste’s second spell in Suffolk is a big boost to the club.
"People ask me who’s the best player I’ve played with and he’s right up there,” Hirst said after scoring at St Andrew’s. "He’s incredible so to get him back is massive for us as a team and a club.
"Just as a guy he’s incredible, all the boys loved him to bits. I think all the boys were texting him trying to get him back as soon as possible.”
Cajuste will link up in midfield with former Reims teammate Azor Matusiwa, who made his Blues and English league debut in the Midlands after spending the previous four seasons in France.
Reflecting on the process of integrating new players, Hirst said: "Time and hard work on the training ground every day which all the boys put in. It may take a little bit of time, it may take a week, that’s just how the cookie crumbles.
"All the boys are working as hard as we possibly can trying to get back into the swing of things which I think we’ve been really good at in pre-season. We’ve showed that we’re getting a lot of new connections spot on.
"It was tough out there today, Azor’s first game in England, to come into a game like that is not easy and I thought he was brilliant. He put in tackles, headers and put himself about.
"I said to him after the game that not every game is going to be like that, there’s going to be games where he can get his foot on the ball and play a little bit more but welcome to England. I’m sure the boys will build on that.
"He’s a great football player, we’ve all seen it day in, day out since he came in. I’m sure there’ll be plenty more games going forward where everyone else will see it too.”
Last season in the Premier League and the season before when promoted from the Championship, Town had the tag of being major underdogs.
This campaign looks remarkably different. The Blues are the bookmakers favourites for the Championship title and are regarded as one of those to be shot at given the strength of the squad and the club being in receipt of parachute payments.
"It’s a privilege to have that pressure,” Hirst insisted. "It means you’re a pretty good side and you’re doing something well.
"It’s a pressure we’ve spoken about and a pressure we’ll embrace and it’s a pressure we’ll use to get better going forward.
"I’m going to be judged on my goals, first and foremost. Probably not so much by the gaffer, I think the gaffer has always been clear and I’ve been clear that being Ipswich’s number nine isn’t just the goals, there’s a hell of a lot more that comes with it.
"As long as I can keep improving every single part of my game then I think we’ll be in a good position.”
Next up, Town face a televised trip to League Two side Bromley on Tuesday night in the opening round of this season’s Carabao Cup.
The Sky Sports cameras are then back in town next Sunday as the Blues make their Portman Road return against fellow relegated side Southampton, a clash Hirst is particularly excited for.
The Scotland international said: "Can’t wait. It’s a place that everyone loves playing with the fans. We experienced it last season where it was a full house every single time we played there.
"For me personally, there’s nowhere better to play. We’ll be back in training this week, we’ve obviously got Bromley on Tuesday night so that’s our main focus. That’s not a game we can take lightly because they can go and cause an upset and that’s not what we want.
"That’s our focus first and foremost, come Wednesday morning I’m sure all focus will be on Southampton.”