Town boss Jim Magilton has confirmed that loan keeper Stephen Bywater has not been offered a contract by the Blues. The former England U21 international joined Town on loan from Derby County in January and made 17 appearances while at Portman Road.

Magilton said: "Stephen has returned to Derby and we will not be offering him a deal.

"Shane Supple has come back and he will play a part for us, but I will also be looking for a new number one keeper.”

News that Bywater won't be staying at Portman Road comes as no surprise after a number of indifferent performances from the former West Ham man.

After Neil Alexander moved on to Rangers during January, the Blues moved for Bywater and former Barnsley stopper Nick Colgan. As yet there is no news on whether the Irishman will be offered a new contract, but Supple's return and Magilton's confirmation that he is looking for another glovesman would appear to signal the end of the ex-Chelsea trainee's time in Suffolk.

Since the end of the season innumerable keepers have been linked with Town including Carlisle's Keiren Westwood, former Blue Richard Wright, Fulham keepers Kasey Keller and Antti Niemi, recently released Aston Villa stopper Thomas Sørensen, Liverpool youngster David Martin and Linfield's Alan Mannus.

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