Stephen Hunt insists he was never concerned that his days as a professional footballer could have been over when he found himself without a new club several weeks into the current campaign.

The 32-year-old Republic of Ireland winger was released by Wolves when his Molineux contract expired at the end of last season and he remained unemployed until agreeing to join Town on a pay-as-you-play basis until January.

Asked if it ever crossed his mind that he might not find a way back into the pro game, Hunt replied: “No, although I knew it was a case of having to once again prove myself and work hard to get myself a long-term contract.

“Nothing in life comes easy and anyone who has reached the top in this profession, playing for the top clubs over a period of years, has had to work hard. It’s no different at Ipswich — you have to come here, prove yourself and do the right things to be successful.

“At the start of August, if I’m honest, I was thinking ‘There will be two or three teams who lose a couple of games and then panic.’ But that wasn’t the case obviously because it was into September and I was trying to get something done, then it was October and that was when my pride started to hurt.

“I was looking at teams playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday and I wasn’t playing, which was really hurting. In the end I said to my agent that I just needed to get a deal, a short-term deal that would get me back playing again. That was when Ipswich came along and I was more than happy to play.”

Hunt indicated that things definitely did not go according to plan when he added: “I had a house in Reading and I sold it, thinking I was going to go somewhere and buy a house straight away. I have a house in Ireland where my family live and they come over here while I live in an apartment.

“The family suffered, if I was in a mood — yes, 100 per cent. But my golf has improved massively. At eight o’clock my personal trainer would come along and I’d spend two and a half hours with him. Then I’d have a bit of breakfast and then I’d play golf.

“I also made sure I spent time with my daughter and I’ve a couple of investments off the field that took up a bit of my time, helping to clear my mind and keep me occupied.

“I missed the dressing room banter. I love all that and I heard someone on the radio the other day saying that was what they missed the most in football.

“I missed the winning as well, especially when I saw teams that I might have joined having a good result. I was thinking ‘I’d have loved to have been part of that’ so to come here and help us get our first away win of the season was really nice.”

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