Jon Walters will today be hoping to make his second Ipswich debut in the East Anglian derby against Norwich, the team who wanted to sign him just over three years ago.

Yes, it’s true. The player who clocked up 146 appearances and scored 32 goals during three and a half years at Portman Road the first time round, and who is back on loan from Burnley until January, might have been turning out at the weekend for the Canaries.

Rewind to August 2015 and Norwich launched a £1.5 million bid for Walters at a time when he had just entered the final year of his contract at Stoke and there was a question mark as to whether manager Mark Hughes felt he had a future at the Britannia Stadium.

As things turned out, a rejuvenated Walters played his way back into favour with Hughes, to the extent that he signed a brand new deal and ended up staying with Stoke for a further two years until he switched to Burnley in a £3 million deal last summer.

Walters, who will be 35 later this month, said: “To be honest it never got to the stage where I had a choice to make.

“If Stoke had accepted the offer it would have been different but they turned it down and that was that. There was never really anything to it as far as I was concerned.

“Funnily enough we played at Carrow Road around the time they made their offer but I wasn’t in the side.

“I had travelled but I kept out of the way and watched the game from a box.

“I didn’t know how it was going to pan out and because they rejected the offer it was never down to me and I had no decision to make.”

So it will be appearance number 147 for snooker fan Walters if he plays any part in today’s derby and he sees it as a big break rejoining the Blues when he is out of favour at Turf Moor and desperate to get his career going again.

There’s another reason Walters wants to return to action, as he explained. “I have three kids, girls aged 13 and 10, and a boy who is seven,” he said.

“I have hardly played any football in the last year and I want to remind them what their dad does. I’ve played a few games for Ireland but I want them to see me playing more regularly than that.

“It’s quite a distance from where I live to Ipswich but it’s all part and parcel of being a footballer.

“I’m on loan until January but they’re at school and won’t be moving down. But they’ll be here when possible and they will come down for weekends to see the home games.

“My oldest girl remembers going to school in Bealings but the others are too young.

“I’ve always followed Ipswich’s fortunes since I left. Mick (McCarthy) was here for the majority of the time and it’s a club that in my eyes should be up there challenging.

“It’s got everything it needs and I never stop referring back to Ipswich when I talk about my career to other players.

“The facilities, the people — everything about it is geared up to challenging to be in the Premier League. The aim is to get back to that point.

“I like to think I’m coming back as a better player. Having played so many games in the Premier League, and internationally as well, I’ve gained a lot of experience.

“Yes, I’m 34 and my birthday’s coming up soon, but I’m certain I still have a few years left in me.”

Photo: TWTD

robmonkey007 added 06:46 - Sep 2 Building up to a great derby day. Walters with the opener or a late winner? Either way....let's get this season under way with Norwich being trounced. COYB
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toxtethblue added 06:55 - Sep 2 "I've always followed Ipswich's fortunes since I left. Mick (McCarthy) was here for the majority of the time and it's a club that in my eyes should be up there challenging. “It's got everything it needs..." Except for an owner willing to invest sufficiently at Championship (pushing for promotion) level. That's one big element missing.
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KiwiTractor added 06:56 - Sep 2 I so want to win this match, but I have a feeling of dread. Come on lads, give it everything, lets kick start this season.
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frantblue added 08:33 - Sep 2 Toxtethblue I'm no Evans fan Persee but you have to understand that investing 8mil a year just to stand still is that in it's self investing in the club If the fair weather supporters bought tickets and merchandise etc and support with money the books would balance and then the owner may invest more in the playing staff. It is frustrating that people moan about a lack of investment property lack of care when we were rescued from Oblivion and he continues to balance the books each year

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WeWereZombies added 08:53 - Sep 2 Thank goodness the Nodge move didn't happen, wouldn't want to see them up the road idolising Walters and kissing the Pink 'un...
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ChrisFelix added 09:08 - Sep 2 Let's hope he has the same effect as 2 former returnees. Ray Crawford & John Wark
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Dissboyitfc added 09:20 - Sep 2 I hope those that slate Evans, do in fact attend matches? Because if you don't, it's fair to say you invest nothing! Just saying! Let's cheer the boys onto our first victory of the season! Will be great to see Walters backhand out on the pitch.
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Karlosfandangal added 09:31 - Sep 2 The worrying thing for me is the fact I that I could phone up the day before a game and get a ticket and there would be about 10k at the ground......now we have more people going to games and the prices keep going up yet the club has to have an investor to keep the club afloat. The Derby match is not on tv for the first time in years yet I can watch German football this afternoon if I want to. I have fell out of love with football in about the last 5 years, Micks football did not help but he knew how to keep a team in a division, even this year I can't get excited about the new era. The Prem is the same old teams up the top again and I can remember the last time I watched MOTD. If Hurst can turn Town in to a side to make the Prem we can not compete with the big sides, some of these div 2 players will make good Championship players anything above that and they will become a Wickham and just disappear. In my lifetime I can't see Town ever being able to compete in the Championship let alone the Prem. Minus arrows please as I can't see Town winning today.

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IvorFeeling added 10:39 - Sep 2 Karlos - understand your sentiment but now under Hurst I have hope. Yes, Hurst is young and will make mistakes, much the same can be said of the young squad but he has a philosophy which is in tune with the club. Mick was all about survival and not living. You need to be prepared to lose to improve and win. I have hope today and that will remain for some time regardless of the result today. If I was a player though, what more motivation would I need, than to gain our first 3 points from Norwich.

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TimmyH added 11:15 - Sep 2 Hope Walters does the business today...it won't be from lack of trying - strange though that Hurst brings in a near on 35 year old ex-Town and Premier player at the last minute to change our fortunes after all the dealing in the lower leagues in the summer. Hint of desperation? COYB!
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toxtethblue added 14:57 - Sep 2 Doesn't matter, the amount invested is nowhere near enough to go up. That is what we want isn't it?! I'm not sure some of you are that bothered, you dont act like you are. And yes I was there in the SBR upper today
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