Skipper Luke Chambers says it will be a big pre-season both for the club and for him personally when the squad return to Playford Road on Monday 24th June.

“I’m enjoying the summer and spending time with my family but I’ll be relishing going back for pre-season when it comes around,” Chambers told iFollow Ipswich.

“It will be a massive pre-season for the club and for me personally. The manager is working hard to get players in and, while in an ideal world you would have your squad in place for the start of pre-season, that rarely happens.

“Some players have moved on and it’s going to be a clean slate. It’s an opportunity to build again and get everyone together and going in the same direction.

“For me personally, it’s massive as well. Over the last three or four years I’ve had niggles and not had the fullest of pre-seasons, this year I want to be clear of all that.

“I’ve been working hard over last few weeks and I’ll be remember come June 24th when we go back and we have to hit the ground running.

“Pre-season tests you as a team and as individuals. It’s really tough and we will see what the group is made of over the first week or two.”

The squad travel to Germany for a training camp between July 4th and 15th during which time they’ll play their first friendlies with a game against Paderborn at the Cronsbachstadion in Steinhagen having been confirmed with the Blues set to take part in a tournament which is expected to include two matches the following weekend.

Town will subsequently play domestic friendlies against Colchester United, Cambridge United and Notts County with no further first team pre-season games to be announced.

Meanwhile, former Blues loanee Jonny Williams has been released by Charlton having helped them to return to the Championship via the play-offs.

The Addicks have cited financial reasons for discarding the 25-year-old Wales international, who joined them on a short-term deal from Crystal Palace in January. Swansea have been linked.

Photo: TWTD

ITFCsince73 added 20:38 - May 31 Nice to see Chambo at the ground in his overalls doing a spot of maintenance, and supposed to be on annual leave....a right good bloke, our Luke. Just horrendous on the field of play.
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Wishing4arightback added 22:43 - May 31 Chepstowblue..... two simple questions. Have you ever been to an Ipswich game? And do you actually know that defenders are meant to stop the opposition forwards?? Chambers is a liability, he makes more mistakes than any other defender, but has a go at any other defender for making a single mistake. These are not opinions, they are facts. Watch a games and you will see. He covers it up with passion. Sorry but he has been found out and for us to go forward he has to go!!!

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ArnieM added 23:23 - May 31 Williams is TOO MUCH OF A RISK . We can't afford for players to be out for months at a time in full wages, in League One, laying in the bloody physio plinth ffs! Williams is constantly out injured. Just when will people learn that injury prone players do NOT earn their corn. I don't care how “ talented “ a player is. If ain't fit , he may as well be horse shyte!
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ArnieM added 23:32 - May 31 Many of you underestimate the influence that Chambers has on the Town squad as a whole and his influence behind the scenes ( especially with the young players) . THIS is why he's been given a new contract. I doubt he will be the first player pencilled in on the team sheet going forward, ( Lambert has even eluded to this if some of you were even bright enough to have picked up on it) But some of you are SO SHORTSIGHTED you cant see beyond the first 11 on the team sheet . Wise up FFS !!

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warktheline added 06:15 - Jun 1 Always a clean slate, as the club continues to slip slide away! Should have been shown the door last summer!
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Kirbmeister added 09:07 - Jun 1 Why don't some of you stop your bloody moaning. He's playing for us whether you like it or not. You'll be well set to lay into him further if we're not running away with the league by Christmas. He has something to prove next season. Personally I hope he has a good one even if only to shut the whingers up. Boring.
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TraktorBoyz added 09:22 - Jun 1 It's not about having a good season he's clearly past it maybe he had a massive influence on our relegation.
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budgieplucker added 09:27 - Jun 1 Big challenge for Luke next season to prove his doubters wrong. I wouldn't be surprised if PL brings in a new left sided centre half before new season starts, Toto and Woolfie more suited to right hand side, and I believe with the additional number of games in a more physical league and Micky mouse cups that we will need all our centre half's. I am also confident that PL will rest Luke if he feels his performances warrant it. As for Jonny Williams, love the player but we would be insane to consider him with his injury record. We need more physicality in the side, it still remains to be seen whether Huws will make a return and I suspect we will continue to walk on eggshells with the Tedsters fitness as well.

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Dolphinblue added 10:12 - Jun 1 'And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate............' Wow 🤔
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dukey44 added 10:24 - Jun 1 Hahaha how bad were we as a team for this total muppet to get player of season and now he's banging on about it being a big start?? Yes it will be as luckily you not in team for start 👍donkey at best...
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Gazelle added 10:53 - Jun 1 Why do so many people have it in for Chambers, goalkeeping mistakes and only 36 goals in 46 games aren't the centre half's fault. I just hope he has a good season next year to shut a few people up.
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rdibble added 12:34 - Jun 1 I'm worried we need investment
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nineteenseventyeight added 13:11 - Jun 1 he can talk the talk but 100% cant walk the walk
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KernewekBlue added 14:58 - Jun 1 I'd like to echo TractorRoyNo1's sentiment concerning Johnny Williams... Get Him In! McGoldrick was said to be "accident prone" when he was with us but, just look at how he's flourished at Sheffield United playing a lot more games for them and making a real contribution to their promotion push. Johnny Williams is a good player and would be a play-making asset for us... on the right terms, obviously. Alas, if Swansea are linked, he's probably bound back to Wales. :(

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bluemike1969 added 15:01 - Jun 1 Gazelle......... You can bet your weeks wages he won't! Chambers has been hopeless and clueless for the past two seasons and this league is tougher so lets just hope captain calamity stays on the touchline throwing out the water otherwise Thomas Holy is gonna be incredibly busy!
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Dolphinblue added 18:44 - Jun 1 And as to prove my point, downmarks 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😋😋😋😋😋🤔
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ITFCsince73 added 18:48 - Jun 1 ArnieM. You really see Chambo out of the starting 11.? You see Chambo sitting on the bench as a sub? You see our great captain out of the match day 18 altogether? ArnieM you have more chance of seeing pigs fly than any of the above. Chambo dosent do any of the above. Alarmingly it doesn't matter how he performs, none of the above will come into it.
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Dolphinblue added 19:17 - Jun 1 CAPTAIN MARVEL...LUKE CHAMBERS...GREAT CAPTAIN...GREAT PLAYER...GREAT MAN 👍
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ITFCsince73 added 19:26 - Jun 1 Yes Dolphinblue. Currently at our lowest position in over half a century. He's certainly done great so far.
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ArnieM added 21:35 - Jun 1 ITFCsince73.... who will be your scapegoat when Chambers is gone? Just wondered.
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Walk_the_Wark added 01:06 - Jun 2 Shut up Chambers. You are our worst player. Hopefully bit part next season if Lambert wakes up
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Dissboyitfc added 06:37 - Jun 2 Yes Chambers is a great clubman and what he does around the club is amazing no one denies that! But it cant be denied also that its a results business and as supporters we are seeing his continued failings on the pitch which contributed to our lowest position in the football pyramid in my lifetime. Sad But True!
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Dolphinblue added 10:26 - Jun 2 Whats sad but true is people who think they know but dont.......All managers pick Chambers, l guess their wrong and the haters are right 😥
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Dog added 10:45 - Jun 2 The vitriol on here beggars belief. Yes, luke had a poor season, but so did the rest of the team. Chalobah was poor, his positional play was dreadful that continually exposed our defence but do you muppets have a go at him. No. Bart was poor but do you have a go at him using the same language. No. This is just Matt Richards all over again and like dolphinblue says, when chambers goes who will you attack then. This website is poor for not policing some of these comments. Do you not forget what happened to Gary Speed. Chambers has already said he was in a difficult place mentally so i hope he doesn't read this tosh. As far as i am concerned the slate is wiped clean. Everyone needs to step up and be counted and then after half a dozen games we can form an opinion on who is cutting the mustard.

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afcfee added 11:39 - Jun 2 Maybe lack off choices Dolphin may not be a problem next season hopefully. Comparing to Chalobah who was his first ever yer in pro football to the experienced captain is not really fair especially when he Chalobah was one of the best players of a bad bunch.
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