Midfielder Grant Leadbitter has told Blues boss Paul Jewell that a return to his native North-East is not “a major concern” as he continues to consider his future. The 26-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and is weighing up whether to stay with Town or move elsewhere with Middlesbrough understood to have offered him terms.

Jewell, who had a lengthy chat with Leadbitter on Thursday, says the £2.65 million 2009 signing from Sunderland is entitled to speak to other clubs but has told him that a move back to his home region — he was born in Chester-le-Street — isn’t a priority: “I got a phone call to say that he wanted to go back to the North-East but he categorically tells me that that isn’t true, that people are putting two and two together and getting five.

“The geography doesn’t bother him, the biggest thing is ambition and he wants to make sure it’s the right move for him. He wants to be sure in his mind and doesn’t want to be rushed on that.

“And, knowing the type of person Grant is, if he had something to tell me, I think he would have told me.

“He’s a good player and his contract’s up and I don’t think he’s going to be short of offers, just like we’ve made offers to other players who are out of contract at other clubs. Those lads have got to decide what they think is best and I respect that.”

Last week the Blues boss said he was giving the former England U21 international 48 hours to make up his mind but sees no benefit in pushing him into making a quick decision: “I think most clubs in the Championship would take him, so he’s got a lot of thinking to do.

“That’s why I don't think it would be wise at this stage of the season for us to say we need a decision now, take it or leave it. Someone wrote in the press ‘Take it or leave it’, but that’s not the case.

“I don’t get involved in the money side of it, but he spoke with me and the owner called him as well. We are keen to keep him.”

Jewell says that Middlesbrough may well have shown interest, however, having failed to land another Town player earlier in the season, he wonders whether they would be able to do a deal with Leadbitter: “I don’t think [it’s a done deal with Middlesbrough]. Tony Mowbray was very keen to get Jason Scotland but he couldn’t afford him, so I don’t where they’re getting the money to pay Grant from.”

Leadbitter will be involved against Millwall today, but Jewell has told his former skipper that he wouldn’t play him if he’d made his mind up to move on: “I’m going to try and play what I think on any given day is the best team to win a match because we’d like to finish the season well.

“I said to Grant yesterday that if he wasn’t going to be here next season, I wouldn’t play him at all. But he’s still seriously giving us consideration.

“I know Ipswich fans might say ‘If he doesn’t want to play for us, let him go’. But that’s not the case. I don’t want a good player go out of being a bit hasty.

“As I said, a couple of months ago we hadn’t even sat down together and talked about staying because I think we both thought he would probably leave at the end of the season. But I think the last couple of months have really changed his mind and certainly mine.”

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

paulnstar added 07:14 - Apr 21 darlington and hartlepool ??
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IpswichFan26 added 08:56 - Apr 21 Sign the contract already! If he wants to be here, he should be biting PJs arm off to stay here. It's like Grants toying with us!
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village_blue added 08:56 - Apr 21 Don't even think of playing him if he's still considering his optitions as I think that he will move on in the summer.
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Ipswich24 added 09:00 - Apr 21 Sign on the dotted line Grant you have proved me wrong last few months, not captain material but still a leader by attitude.
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davidsc1971 added 09:45 - Apr 21 Of course geography isn't important, because it's all about the money. Taxi for Leadbitter
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buryblue77 added 09:59 - Apr 21 Sign up or get out! He knows what other offers are around and he knows what we're offering, I think he's just making sure he gets football for the last few games (to prove what a player he is to his new club, probably 'Boro) and then will reject the contract. I hope PJ does what he says he going to do and ensure contracts are sorted out a year before expiry, we can't afford to go on throwing millions down the drain like this.

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ClassyCranson added 10:01 - Apr 21 Poor management from PJ. Roy Keane and Paul Jewell - Norwich legends.
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StochesStotasBlewe added 10:20 - Apr 21 STAY HERE GRANT.
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tortoise added 10:21 - Apr 21 Think Leadbitter is being very sensible, weighing up his options. I would do the same. Not everyone who plays for Ipswich has been a lifelong Ipswich fan or sees things in the rose tinted 'we can get promoted' way that we do. As a professional footballer if he thinks a club with better prospects want him then he should probably go for it. If he thinks at the end of the season that club is Ipswich then good!

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beerhelps added 10:26 - Apr 21 To stay here he would have to take a lower wage, IMO. In the last couple of months he has shown how he can play but before that he just took his money without performing, short changing ME, the club and those of us who buy over priced tickets. He, along with others, is just after the most money he can grab but he has shown to little comittment over the length of his contract to earn anything other than a basic (new world) championship contract. If he wont take that now, let him go, and Bowyer.

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TimmyH added 10:45 - Apr 21 Come on mate stop dithering...your really not that fantastic, your replacable.
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alztar added 10:47 - Apr 21 I don't understand how anyone can want him to stay!!! Its clear he doesn't want to stay so I don't think PJ should even bother! It will be good for the club if he goes because then Hyam will be in the team from the start and in my opinion Hyam is a far more promising player who does want to be at the club!
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arc added 12:46 - Apr 21 Has Leadbitter done a single interview in his three years at the club? Even when he was captain, I can't remember him being quoted directly. And certainly recently, everything is "Jewell says Leadbitter says..." He would do himself a favour by talking to the fans once in a while.
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RaymondovicBlue added 12:46 - Apr 21 I've only seen Town live once this year, sadly (VERY) but it was at St Mary's. GL was pretty much my man of the match against Southampton showing the hunger and drive we need. He stood out. Was he "just playing for the shop window"? as some have suggested? How could I know - but what I DO know is that Managers SHOULD be able to bring the best out of players every game - especially senior ones. But even the best managers are sometimes let down by players not caring, losing form, or being plain stupid (eg Mancini and whoever manages Torres these days). Others will have seen him both before and since I did so I bow to your wisdom

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Ipswichbusiness added 19:05 - Apr 21 GL is, I think, 26 years old. He should be coming up to the peak of his career and earning power. I have no problem with him trying to do the best for himself and his family (wouldn't you?), but I just don't think that his form over the last few years has justified a decent new contract especially as we have others who could do a job for us there.
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DJMason added 09:43 - Apr 22 Hopefully he will leave. Can't stand him. How many shots did he have at Millwall and how many were on target? Enough said. Out of the last 3 penalties he has missed all of them. Before I wanted him to sign a new contract but now I hope he leaves. Cheerio Leadbitter!!!
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