Blues boss Paul Jewell said he had "nothing but good things" to say about departing midfielder Grant Leadbitter, who he described as “a terrific professional” despite the former Sunderland man having decided to leave the club at the end of his contract this summer.

Jewell said: “I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Grant Leadbitter, he’s a terrific professional, but the longer it went on the more I realised it wasn’t going to happen.

“He came in and [we talked on Friday] and it’s a big move for Grant, it’s a big stage of his career. We wish him well, we would have liked him to have stayed but the football club moves on.”

The Blues boss says he’d prefer to get his summer signings — he’s targeting around six — as soon as he can but is aware that things don’t always progress as planned: “Ideally, but in this business sometimes things don’t fall for you when you want them to, but we have got a couple of targets we’re chasing.

“Obviously we’ve lost Grant, but we want the spine of the team to be more powerful. I think we’ve been a bit powder puff, to be brutally honest, and players at times have talked the talk but haven’t walked the walk.”

Leadbitter insisted that money wasn’t behind his exit and Jewell says the two didn’t discuss that aspect of his future: “I didn’t get involved in finance, but I guess if we’d offered him 50 grand a week he might have stayed.

“It’s entirely up to Grant. I don’t know whether he’s got something lined-up or not, it’s entirely his call, but if he’s talking about ambition, no one’s more ambitious than me and Marcus Evans, and that doesn’t mean always going out and spending big money on players.

“Grant was one of those brought in on a big transfer fee. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. He’s had a really good end to the season, Grant, and whoever gets him is going to get a decent player.

“And at the end of the day, if he doesn’t want to stay, it’s a good job we didn’t offer him 50 grand a week.”

In terms of adding to his squad over the summer, the Liverpudlian says he’ll be looking at players more in the mould of Andy Drury and Ryan Stevenson with football’s finances going through an adjustment: “I think everybody’s taking a reality check regarding the wages in football.

“The money isn’t about. I’m sick of mentioning Portsmouth and Rangers. It’s right in our faces. We need to get players on sensible salaries with the chance of earning more money if they’re successful, that’s the type of player we’re after. Whether we can get them is up to me.

“We’ve got people like Ryan Stevenson and Andy Drury who are not on big money but they’re hungry and they enjoy being here.

“We know we need quality, we need another striker and midfield player, a centre-half, a goalkeeper. They’re the areas we’re looking to strengthen.”

Regarding the keeper Jewell talked to on Thursday, he wouldn’t be drawn on how the conversation went: “We spoke to someone regarding a goalkeeper. We want a goalkeeper, I think it’s been quite apparent that we haven’t had a number one.

“We’ve had a couple of loanees and Arran’s done OK when he’s come in, but we need a big presence, a number one goalkeeper. I think the spine of the team needs to be strengthened.”

Jewell says there’s nothing new on Portsmouth’s Joel Ward with the 22-year-old’s representative yet to speak to owner Evans: “There’s no news because the agent hasn’t spoken to Marcus. He’s one of a number we’re chasing. I don’t want to dive into something I might regret come the end of the year, but we’d rather do business as quickly as we can.”

There was also nothing new on Tommy Smith’s contract, although Evans is speaking to the New Zealand international’s agent and the matter is expected to be settled soon.

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

cornishnick added 10:43 - Apr 30 Must say it sticks in the craw, like Norris and McAuley before. Must have known for some time he wasn't going to stay, should have said and we could have got a fee for him either last summer or Jan. Selfish
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jas0999 added 11:44 - Apr 30 People who are slating Grant and Roy for this signing - just remember who decided to keep him on as club captain for the start of this season - yes PJ. PJ clearly rated him, even if 90% of the fans didn't! Best wishes to Grant. Like McAuly and Norris - the club really need to look at how they deal with these situations in the future.
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bluepeter added 11:46 - Apr 30 Well spotted Mark, it is always about money. I think some of these footballers think that we are as thick as they are
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sparks added 12:02 - Apr 30 A consumate professional, who only puts in performances when he's hoping for a shiny deal elsewhere....
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Surco72 added 12:02 - Apr 30 Jas i think you will find that the club were open to offers for Grant but recieved none because apart from a few games at the end of the season he has been crap for three years .Anyone who defends this over priced mercenary signing by Keane is deluded
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adamisablue added 12:06 - Apr 30 i for one am slightly concerned with whats going on at ipswich right now. since jim narrowly missed the playoffs (one dis alowed goal that should have been i belive) its just been a revolving door of players and staff. 3/4's of pj's summer signings have been relased and now we are targeting 6 more players to repat this (well last now) season into next and so on and so fourth. was at the millwall game after a lengthy absence from portman road and it felt to me as if the place was crumbling down. the atmos was dire, the ground streile, over priced (most prem grounds are cheaper) falling attendences, even the ball boys couldnt be arsed!!! please lisen to us marcus and simon, and get some soul back into this club. we'll be here in league one, you wont be

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Stu_Magoo added 12:10 - Apr 30 Jas = Once again talking complete catdick.
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tort63 added 12:45 - Apr 30 “Is it more than a coincidence that he missed a penalty against Middlesborough and will now be signing for them in a few days.” He also slammed in a fantastic equaliser in a man-of-the-match performance and celebrated in front of the SBR stand as though we'd just won the cup. But don't let the truth get in the way of a good moan!
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walberswick added 12:49 - Apr 30 If you sign a pre contract agreement with another club and then you play them there is a conflict of interest.
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Cheshire_Blue added 13:08 - Apr 30 With Leadbitter gone who will you all pick on next year ?!
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Strikes added 13:13 - Apr 30 I'm not planning to pick on anyone in a blue shirt myself (or white, if we're away). But for the record I never rated Grant. Hyam and Drury are the future.
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buryblue77 added 13:33 - Apr 30 stu_Magoo, I like your analasys of jas post, did make me laugh. But he is correct in what he says, PJ did make him captain. But he's definitely a terrific something or other..... Another contract situation which should have been delt with or sell up, which is difficult if nobody wants him, but if he doesn't want to sign a new contract I'd rather get £100k for him, get his (rumoured) £15k a week wages off the bill instead of keeping someone on who doesn't want to be here.

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casanovacrow added 13:34 - Apr 30 good player when he wants to be, just hadnt looked motivated, apart from an initial flourish and when he was looking for a new club. Say what he wants he left for the money, FACT
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RegencyBlue added 13:55 - Apr 30 Personally I think the most significant comment in the above article is: The money isn't about. I'm sick of mentioning Portsmouth and Rangers. It's right in our faces. We need to get players on sensible salaries with the chance of earning more money if they're successful, that's the type of player we're after. Whether we can get them is up to me. Thats us fecked than!!!

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Blue041273 added 21:48 - Apr 30 The most telling aspect of this article is that PJ tells us today that GL (as of now an ex player) is the best thing since sliced bread while ALB (still one of his 1st team squad and currently the only GK on the books) has merely done ok and needs to be replaced. If PJ had any real management nous about him he would be proclaiming ALB as one of the heroes of a difficult season and never speak of GL again.

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ClassyCranson added 22:22 - Apr 30 Never in doubt he was going. His six game run of decent performances came when the team had no pressure on it and nothing to play for. Drury, Hyam, JET and Martin had all started to put in decent performaces long before GL. Captain of the football club and doesn't even apologise to the fans when we got beat 7 - 1 at Peterborough.
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Lombokblue added 22:43 - Apr 30 He's been with us three years and its been a pretty forgettable three years for him and the club. We've stood still and with the money we've spent we should have been in the play offs at least once. He's 26 and should have improved but , apart from the last few months, has got worse. Some one must have told him he can do better else where. I can't see him making it out of the championship

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i_like_that_bolder added 13:04 - May 2 Up there as one of our worst signings considering the money. Slow, spent most of his time around the centre circle, and couldn't carry the ball more than 2 yards before wanting to pass it backwards. Never saw him gee any other players up either, how on earth was he ever seen as captain material. The wasted money is annoying, the wasted 3 years of having to see him pull on an Ipswich shirt is worse.

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