Alan Lee has apologised to Town fans — and begged their forgiveness — after playing for arch-rivals Norwich.

Lee is back at Portman Road five years after he was transferred to Crystal Palace following a successful 20-month stint that saw him plunder 34 goals in 109 games.

He returned in the summer to join the academy coaching staff but has since reversed his decision to quit playing and signed non-contract terms that could see him feature in first team action over the coming months.

It was in March 2009, during his time at Selhurst Park, that he agreed a loan move to Carrow Road but although he scored twice in seven appearances he was unable to prevent the Canaries being relegated to League One.

Lee recalled his brief spell with Norwich and said: “I suppose I’ve got some making up to do with the supporters and I’ll do everything I can.

“But at the time I was lonely in London and for me it was an opportunity to get back with my family. That’s got to be number one and I took it.

"My mate Gunny [Bryan Gunn] was manager of Norwich at the time and first and foremost I was looking after number one. I apologise but it was something that was right for me.”

Lee admitted he did not want to leave Ipswich in 2008 but felt he had no alternative than to head for South London when then boss Jim Magilton made his position clear.

He added: “There were quite a few things. I didn’t want to leave but the manager said I wouldn’t get another contract and I figured at that stage my best option would be to sign for Neil Warnock at Crystal Palace.

“I had a horrible start when I got injured in my very first training session. It was a horrible year but the next year was one of my favourite years in football. It might sound silly because we were in administration and everything was against us.

“But as a group of staff and players we just pulled together so well. Everyone gave absolutely 100 per cent and we stayed up on the last day of the season. Everything’s for a reason and I ended up having a great time at Crystal Palace. I loved it and was sorry to leave there as well.”

But Lee, who later joined Huddersfield before being released in the summer, is delighted to be back for a second time at Portman Road.

He said: “Right from the start I loved playing for Ipswich Town. It hadn’t gone well for me at Cardiff and from not being in the team there I was starting for Ipswich.

“The atmosphere, the stadium, the beautiful training ground, the facilities, I felt wanted again. It really worked out for me and I loved my time here.”

Meanwhile, Hull winger Cameron Stewart, who recently joined Charlton on loan until January, has revealed that Tigers boss Steve Bruce confirmed that Town were, as reported at the time, amongst the clubs showing interest in him in the summer.

“I did see Steve Bruce and he said that he had spoken to Charlton, Blackpool and Ipswich about me and that Celtic had been in contact," he said.

Elsewhere, games against Huddersfield, Sheffield Wednesday, Colchester, Crewe, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Leeds, Barnsley, Watford and Coventry have been added to the U18s fixture list.

Photo: Action Images

Mark added 12:33 - Sep 19 He didn't leave Ipswich for Norwich, we rejected him and he sought to play where he could. We hardly improved our strike force after Alan, did we? Stead was OK but reportedly on huge wages. Priskin a £1.7M disaster. Scotland alright, but rather slow and another fairly expensive player who later left on a free. I so SO glad we have found McGoldrick now.
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kalypso added 12:43 - Sep 19 Who cares, doesn't look like he'll be playomg fot the Town anytime soon.
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BlueVelvet added 12:53 - Sep 19 Oh grow up Lee, why the need to apologise, a jobs a job, whether its with NCFC, Palace or any other club. Those that see Norwich as rivals, sc*m or the like are dinosaurs - look at their performance, wouldn't you dinosaurs like to support a team in the Premier league. Football is no longer about fighting in the stands or squaring up outside the ground - I left that behind in the 70's. Because of that legacy, ITFC have to pay the police huge sums of money for policing matches and to escort coaches away from the ground after games - 15 Leeds coaches got the royal treatment at ITFC fans expense. Last away game we had with NCFC we were escorted all the way from PR to Carrow road by police motorcade - what a farce, but with jerks still professing their undying hatred of the Canaries no one can take any risks. Grow up you Canary haters

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BillBlue added 13:35 - Sep 19 Agreed BlueVelvet - I never left it behind I just never started it! On our greatest day at Wembley I saw a so called Town fan with a banner reading "I hate Norwich"! Why??
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HarryfromBath added 13:39 - Sep 19 Alan Lee has little to apologise for. We had let him go and he was rightly looking out for his and his families interests. I think that animosity is generated more by the attitude of the player after moving to a rival club than the move itself. Each case is different. Yeovil fans were upset when Andy Williams left for Swindon because he said that he didn't want to play for a "struggling" club, and followed this up with a gleeful celebration after scoring against the Glovers. Alan has never been anything other than completely professional, and it is great to have him back in our set-up.

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BlueBadger added 13:40 - Sep 19 You're forgiven Alan. You were rubbish when you went there and thus, contributed to their relegation.
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Frank_Dollop added 14:07 - Sep 19 Good try Alan - but knowing where you live, i think you'll find that your commute to Palace was quicker than your commute to Norwich! LOL!
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TractorBeezer added 14:20 - Sep 19 Haha, it's great to see a sense of humour with this tongue in cheek interview. Never mind the facilities, how do you like our turnstiles Big Al?
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TimmyH added 15:29 - Sep 19 When he moves on to his next team he'll probably be grovelling to them, he desperately wants first team football with us at the moment, give him 10/15 minutes Mick as a sub and let's see where he is at.
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dubblue added 15:38 - Sep 19 Must be a slow news day....forgiven....now next please!
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Seasider added 16:06 - Sep 19 Have never been able to understand this hatred of Norwich;some of it at the moment could be jealousy;but generally in the 50 odd years have been supporting The Town they have been in the ascendancy. Perhaps its because I am an Essex boy!
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ericclacton added 16:11 - Sep 19 Dont worry Alan just don't tell uncle Peter.
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SE1_ITFC added 16:24 - Sep 19 Best headline on TWTD for ages! Alan Lee.. GOAL!
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MattinLondon added 16:34 - Sep 19 I think football is all the better for local rivaries -it adds spice to certain games. Think football wil be the loser if every game is just Town vs another team. I'm not advocating fighting (which is childish) but local derbis where there is 'bad blood' between both teams adds to the atmosphere and occassion.
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Fatcatevans added 16:47 - Sep 19 Seasider why would anyone be jealous of Norwich? It's only recently they have been in the premiership and we haven't . Unless I missed something there's no league championship FA cup or European trophy in their cabinet
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happybeingblue added 17:33 - Sep 19 shouldnt have let him go in the first place i think their was an incident involving alan lee,owen garvan and was it billy clarke and a weekend away in amsterdam ,and rumour had it jim blew a gasket! he was noticeably slower second season so maybe he had been on the old guinness too much,i was a fan and still am of his hustling style and eye for goal,remember him scoring a couple for rotherham down here and we signed him few mths later

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blues1 added 17:37 - Sep 19 frank dollop. ur command of geography is as bad as wickedblues. palace is a good hour and a half away from Ipswich whereas Norwich is around 50-60 mins from Ipswich, Dedham is closer to Norwich than Ipswich so work it out for yourself. fatcatevans. the reason some may be jealous of Norwich(not me btw, I just say good luck to them), is that they are achieving something at this moment that looks light years ahead of what we are likely to for a while. and quoting our history (proud of it as we are entitled to be), is of little consolation to the fact that they are so much better than we are at this moment in time. and anyone who thinks Lee needs to apologise for his time there, then frankly ur sad and deluded. he wasn't the 1st town player to play for them and he more than likely wont be the last. as for his "if I score against Ipswich ill celebrate". quite right too. I don't believe in all this rubbish about not celebrating against ur former club. never used to be like that and as far as im concerned if u score for ur current team uve every right to celebrate it.

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bournemouthblue added 17:42 - Sep 19 I love the fact he's apologising as if he's murdered a puppy, it's only a game :p
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happybeingblue added 17:44 - Sep 19 i always say to my kids that i have more respect for someone wearing a NORWICH shirt as opposed to folks from ipswich wearing the chelski or man city/utd tops or whoever else happens to be winning trophys as at least they more than likely support their local club!!....bloomin glory hunters ...i blame the fathers who didnt take em to portman rd :)
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Taricco_Fan added 18:37 - Sep 19 No need to apologise at all. Football is a short career and players have to look after number one (i.e. their family), especially those that haven't been playing at the highest level where the real fortunes are made. It's also worth remembering that clubs are quick to sling out players when they are deemed of no further use. Loyalty works both ways.
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chevvymalc added 18:41 - Sep 19 Just show Nouble what you are supposeed to do up front and all is forgiven Lee.!!!
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kerryblue added 20:31 - Sep 19 Once a Blue always a Blue,glad your back at this club ,a decent bloke whose hard working and honest ,a lot better than that striker we had on the bench last season constantly sniping at the fans and writing crap on Twitter about us,what was his name again????I know Alan Lee has a far better record with us than that has been Crapra no feer of him being invited back for a second spell.COYB

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kalypso added 23:52 - Sep 19 I wish the designer who created our back to front shirts would apologise
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mrmorisato added 02:24 - Sep 20 This is ridiculous, even I, (a life long passionate town fan for more than 20 years) can see that there's nothing in this, Lee doesn't need to offer an apology at all in my opinion. Lee wasn't really given a choice but to move on. No apology needed mate;) If my memory serves me correctly no other town player has scored more than Lee in any one season since he left in 2008 with 17 goals. Only Chopra has come closest with 14.

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