Blues forward Conor Chaplin, who returned to his former club Portsmouth on a season-long loan on Monday, says his four years at Town were the best of his career.
The 28-year-old’s departure to return to his boyhood club Pompey was the biggest shock of the final day of the transfer window for Town supporters, not least as Chaplin had started Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Derby County.
Although he has moved to Fratton Park for the season, the Blues can recall him in January and his contract, which is up next summer, has an option for a further season.
Asked how it feels to be back in a Portsmouth shirt, he told the Pompey official website: "Amazing, a bit crazy. It happened a bit fast but feeling really grateful and really excited. It’s been a mad amount of time since I left, so it feels amazing to be back.”
On the move seemingly having come out of the blue, he added: "It’s probably been one where I was more aware than a lot of other people, I know that probably sounds silly to say, but it’s not always the case.
"Going into the game on Saturday and then off the back of Saturday and seeing what Sunday brought and it probably accelerated today [Monday] even quicker and then we’re here now. All worth it.”
Worthing-born Chaplin left Fratton Park for Coventry on loan in August 2018, before making that switch permanent in the following January.
A move to Barnsley followed at the end of that campaign followed before his former Portsmouth boss Paul Cook took him to Ipswich in his Demolition Man summer in 2021.
"It’s probably a decision at the time I knew needed to happen and I needed to make for my career and it turned out to be a good decision, looking back at the last eight years,” he reflected on leaving Fratton Park.
"Probably one that like any young footballer’s career was not plain sailing, a lot of ups and downs, a lot of lessons on the way.
"Probably a very different footballer from the one the fans saw when I was 21 to what I am now. I feel like I’m a senior player now, I’m a more rounded player, I know exactly what I am, I understand exactly what I am as a player, as a teammate, which I think is really important.
"I just want to try and give my best for this football club. I was conscious I wanted to come back to this football club at some point in my career, whenever that may be.
"I didn’t see it being this soon, but really glad that it is because I feel like I’m probably at the best stage as a person and as a player that I’ve ever been, so I’m excited to give that best version of myself to the football club.”
Asked to reflect on his time at Town in which he won back-to-back promotions, a number of personal honours and became a fans’ favourite, he said: "How was that? The best time of my life, best four years of my life, probably.
"On the pitch, I probably don’t need to speak about too much, but my sons were born in the last couple of years as well in Ipswich, had a great life with me and my fiancée.
"I’ve absolutely loved it. I’ve fallen in love with that football club and so grateful for what that’s given me.
"In a strange way it feels weird to be back somewhere now, at a different club to Ipswich which I have all the same feelings for because of the relationship that I had when I was at the club [Pompey] previously and obviously what’s gone before.
"Leaving Ipswich was never, ever going to be an easy decision, and it wasn’t. It wasn’t something that was overnight thing, it was something that was thought about for a long time.
"There’s probably only one place that could have tempted me this summer to go and that was Portsmouth.”
Despite the Blues’ relegation, Chaplin says he was proud to play in the top flight with Town last season.
"To play in the Premier League and to score in the Premier League is probably a dream I’ve had since I can’t remember,” he continued.
"It’s definitely one that was ticked off the list as such, but it’s probably one that gives you a lot more fuel and hunger to experience those highs again.
"It’s something I’m really looking to do, I’m hugely ambitious. I really want to come to a team that wants to fight for things and do special things that I know can be done, I think have been proven can be done at football clubs, and this is no different.”
Chaplin, who could make his second Portsmouth debut in the big south coast derby a week on Sunday, was asked his aims for the campaign ahead.
"To have a big impact on the team, to hopefully bring success to the football club this season in whatever way you want to measure that,” he said.
"I think I want to try and challenge my teammates, I want to integrate as quickly as I possibly can.
"I want to have a successful season with the football, what that may be time will tell, but I think you can’t look too short, you need to have big hopes and big ambitions for the season.”