Town have announced that they have “reluctantly” agreed to terminate winger Tommy Oar’s contract at his own request, the Australian international having failed to settle in England.

Oar, 24, joined the Blues in August, siging a two-year deal, having left Dutch Eredivisie side FC Utrecht at the end of last season.

He made four Town starts - one in the league - and five sub appearances, scoring his only goal in the FA Cup tie against Portsmouth at Portman Road.

“I’d like to thank Ipswich Town for their co-operation over ending my contract,” Oar told the club site.

“It’s a great club and the manager, staff and players made me feel very welcome but while I have enjoyed playing for Ipswich, I have found it difficult to settle into life in England.

“I have been away from home for five or six years now. My family came over at Christmas and maybe I’ve got to a point where I want to be closer to home again.

“It’s just one of those things where moving over here as not worked out as I had hoped but I’d like to wish the club, the manager, the staff and the players the best of luck over the rest of the season and I hope to be watching Ipswich in the Premier League next year.”

Boss Mick McCarthy added: “Tommy came to see me and said that he hadn’t settled in England and asked if it was possible to end his contract.

“It’s disappointing obviously as we had high hopes for him. He had shown great quality in training but I don’t want to keep a player at the club who doesn’t want to be here. We wish him well.”

McCarthy could look to add another winger to his squad as back-up to Ryan Fraser and Freddie Sears, although he already has the likes of Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Larsen Touré and Jay Tabb in his squad who play wide roles.

Meanwhile, former Blues loanee Jonny Williams has joined the MK Dons on a 93-day loan.

Photo: Action Images

hampstead_blue added 15:48 - Jan 22 Homesick? Not sure, but anyhow good luck to the lad I'd like to think he is sincere and hope he doesn't go and sign for someone in the same continent.
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bluehook added 15:49 - Jan 22 Mick is making way for Ronaldo's arrival tomorrow.
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Jimmy86 added 15:51 - Jan 22 Shocked by this to be honest. He's been playing in Holland, which isn't too unlike Holland, certainly climate wise. He was starting to really push his way into contention. Good luck to him, guess he will go and play in the A league
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Michael11 added 15:51 - Jan 22 Well that's a shame. I liked what I'd seen of him so far. Hopefully we'll dip into the transfer market and make a good signing to replace him.
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groovyASH added 15:52 - Jan 22 A shame, when I've seen him play he's always looked like a hard worker with a touch of quality but never the winger he was hyped up to be. I guess a lack of pre-season, injuries and the form of others were always going to relegate him to a bit-part this season. Do feel we need to replace him; we've lost two "quality back-ups" in Parr and Oar, I know Foley is in to replace Parr but I'd reckon he's less of a chance to challenge for a first team place than Parr. The squad is strangely looking a bit weaker with less than 2 weeks until deadline day. We need to do a "Sears" and get 1 or 2 hungry players in who can have hopefully have a similar impact.

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BlueandTruesince82 added 15:52 - Jan 22 An Aussie in the UK homesick? How, half the Aussie population is here anyway, again though it shows that Mick and those that run the club are thoroughly decent chaps to agree to such a request.... shame as I thought the lad could develop into a really good pro and I understood he had held out for a move to the UK in the first place.
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Jimmy86 added 15:53 - Jan 22 * playing in Holland, which isn't too unlike UK climate wise
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legoman added 15:56 - Jan 22 Gutted. When I read that Franz Thyson rated him highly I was reaally excited.
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Lightningboy added 16:00 - Jan 22 Good grief!...thought he'd be a good little player for us.
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trueblue16 added 16:03 - Jan 22 This has really shocked me yet this is sometimes the stuff you have to deal with when you bring in international players, seem to remember a couple years back where 5 of our squad were international and the rest were English Irish or Scottish, yet I find it refreshing how were broadening our horizons to other continents...best of luck to tommy where I wish him a prosperous career in Australia where he feels happy, COYB

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yungblue added 16:05 - Jan 22 Anyone who thinks were are going to dip into the bank is deluded
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hoppy added 16:05 - Jan 22 Frans Thijssen spoke well of him too I believe, Legoman. Hopefully, as Hampstead said, he doesn't want to be somewhere 'closer to home' and end up at another club in England - who was it that left us once before, giving similar reasons and rocked up somewhere else, like QPR or somewhere like that, which was just as far from home as being with us?
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Mr_Evans added 16:12 - Jan 22 Does this mean we can go out and sign George Moncur now?
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dirtydingusmagee added 16:13 - Jan 22 well that is a surprise,thought he was a good prospect and was impressed with him to this point .
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MVBlue added 16:13 - Jan 22 This is a shock. Hes been in europe for years and at our club only 4 months. I didn't think he was getting enough first team appearences and getting the right performances yet, but surely he was going to do well. The Australian team is a good unit. When did this sort of thing last happen ? Aussies do prefer big city living, most of them live that way. Maybe being in the sticks wasn't for him.

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buntITFC added 16:18 - Jan 22 There goes my chant of - 'Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oar Oar Oar!!!' Damn.
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BlueKush added 16:20 - Jan 22 Sensible lad - he'll probably sign for Portsmouth now!
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lukey130490 added 16:20 - Jan 22 I am eagerly awaiting the conspiracy theories. He waited out for a move to england, but for one reason or another, he is missing home and wants to move back closer. It is simple as that. it happens. He probably moved to england on his own, hasnt settled as well as he thought he had, and seeing his family made him realise how much he was missing home. footballers are human too, they have feelings.

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Northern_Blue81 added 16:20 - Jan 22 Maybe the pompey away farce was enough.....
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sidtheswan added 16:28 - Jan 22 That came out of the blue !
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phillo added 16:31 - Jan 22 Tommy Oar this week, Jonny Parr last week ..... but of a theme here of patently good quality players Mick sees as fringe players clearly wanting better. Yes I know the PR says "homesick", "at his request" etc - but that could well have just been his agreement to let the club say that to let him cancel his contract so he wasn't "stuck" here waiting on a club trying to sign him. Good luck to them both, not sure I'd stick around in a strange country without getting a fair crack of the whip. In answer to a previous poster YES he is better than Searsy .... OUT WIDE ...... but clearly Searsy should be playing centrally all the time not out of position wide !! I'm sorry but Mick's policy of "accommodating" favourites all over the pitch has claimed another victim in my opinion. Hope it doesn't come back to bite us.

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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 16:32 - Jan 22 Great pity, but if part of the reason at least is that he felt he was never likely to get much game time, then I can't blame him. I find it hard to believe that this wasn't at least part of the problem. If he'd been more involved, he wouldn't have had so much reason to become homesick. Tommy's departure weakens us and I expect MM to bring someone else in. The question is, "Who?"

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Langdon_Blue added 16:34 - Jan 22 It seems a week is a long time in football..." to England has been a very smooth transition because everyone at the club has been very friendly in helping me to settle in. “It's a close-knit team and a good bunch of boys so from that perspective settling in has been no problem at all, so it has been really good.
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ArnieM added 16:37 - Jan 22 Id love to believe that is was homesickness, but in truth I cant help feel its due to lack of 1st team opportunities. Thats another very good player walked away from the Club if so .
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stuyarmouthblue added 16:50 - Jan 22 Oh you conspiracy theorists! How you love to think the worst. But just to indulge you, let's say you're right and Part and Oar both left because they were unhappy with Mick: does that make him a bad manager or does it reflect how it's likely that a small percentage just won't be happy regardless of the manager
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