Former Blues midfielder Luke Hyam has announced his retirement from professional football due to a back injury.

The 29-year-old Ipswich-born midfielder came through the academy ranks at Playford Road and made 118 starts and 28 sub appearances for the Blues, scoring three times.

The former Northgate High School pupil, a Town supporter when growing up, made his senior debut in the 3-1 win at Middlesbrough on the opening day of the 2010/11 season having impressed then-manager Roy Keane in pre-season.

Hyam, who spent a short spell on loan at Rotherham during 2015, making two starts and three sub appearances, was a regular in the Town side which reached the play-offs in 2014/15

He was released in the summer of 2018 when he joined Southend but his two years at Roots Hall were disrupted by injury and he made only 18 starts and 10 sub appearances, scoring once before departing last summer.

"It's heartbreaking,” Hyam said when speaking to The Preview, the club’s new matchday feature. “The decision was kind of taken out of my own hands. I picked up a back injury about a year and a half ago and it just deteriorated over time.

“It was at the back end of my first year at Southend. It's unfortunate but you can't dwell on the past, you've got to look into the future.

“You always think it's going to happen one day, that you're going to retire from football. Unfortunately for me, it's happened earlier than most.

“At the same time, I'm very privileged to not only play professional football but to play for my boyhood club. It was always a dream of mine from a young age so be able to fulfil that, I can't complain.

“Everyone is going to have regrets in life and, of course, I'd love to have been able to play football longer. I'd have loved to have played for Ipswich longer. You've got to look at the positives in life.

“I managed to play for the team I supported as a young boy, the team that all my friends and family still support now. I feel like that's a really good achievement.”

Hyam, who had some tough times with injuries at Town as well as with the Shrimpers, is currently completing a personal training course and plans to use his experiences to help others, stressing the importance of mental as well as physical health.

He added: “If I can get into a better physical state and finish off my qualification, I'd love to do that in the near future. I'd love to bring other people into it and help them get the benefits that I got from exercise.

“I've had mental health problems in the past, I'm a massive advocate of it. I'd want to help people who are struggling, especially with all of the uncertainty around at the moment. I'd like to just help as many people as possible.

“Like any player, if you're not playing football it's a dark place. When you have injuries on top of it, it is hard. You need to get people to talk about it and speak about it more.

“Opening up with people can make you feel better. I'd love to be able to raise people's awareness and say 'it's OK not to be OK.'

“Being a local lad, I just want to help people and raise awareness. I'd like to help with anything I can around the local community.

“Community is a massive part for me. I love the town and I have all of my friends and family here so I want to stay here forever."

Photo: Action Images

TractorFrog added 10:27 - Feb 27 Sad news. Luke Hyam was a great player, very underrated by the fans and was always a loyal Ipswich player, fully committed to the club. Luke Hyam, he's one of our own!
17

essexccc added 10:29 - Feb 27 Very sad to learn of his early retirement. Never quite became the player we always wanted him to be but its clear from what he says here that he is still "One of our own". All the best to him.
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BlueandTruesince82 added 10:34 - Feb 27 One of our own
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jonbull88 added 10:52 - Feb 27 Sad news. Wish him all the best for his next adventures.
11

BangaloreBlues added 10:53 - Feb 27 Sad story, but advocating mental health in sport is great thing and it's a long-ignored subject that needs to be more open. I wish him all the best in doing that as more needs to be done.
8

Matterhorn added 11:14 - Feb 27 All the best Luke, to play for the team you support is pretty rare nowadays but you'll always have that memory, to run out with the blue shirt on must be a brilliant feeling, good luck for the future
9

ipswichtillidie added 11:20 - Feb 27 Top man. All the best for the future Luke. One of our own.
7

wkj added 11:29 - Feb 27 Sad to see the lad having to retire early as he was often there for big youth games. I think we had a youth game at Portman Road when Mick was here, and he was there getting behind the team and being a good mentor. Sadly his body never lived up to the magnitude of his personality. OneOfOurOwn.
8

PortmanTerrorist added 11:35 - Feb 27 Never underrated by this fan and would never have accepted the slack performances of the team in recent years. A fit Hyam would have made a difference in the Championship let alone League 1.... never had a player like him since. Good luck with whatever you do Luke, and maybe there is a place for you at Portman Road.... attitude coach?!
7

PortmanTerrorist added 11:36 - Feb 27 Never underrated by this fan and would never have accepted the slack performances of the team in recent years. A fit Hyam would have made a difference in the Championship let alone League 1.... never had a player like him since. Good luck with whatever you do Luke, and maybe there is a place for you at Portman Road.... attitude coach?!
0

PortmanTerrorist added 11:36 - Feb 27 Never underrated by this fan and would never have accepted the slack performances of the team in recent years. A fit Hyam would have made a difference in the Championship let alone League 1.... never had a player like him since. Good luck with whatever you do Luke, and maybe there is a place for you at Portman Road.... attitude coach?!
1

bluedispare added 11:37 - Feb 27 All the best Luke for the future. I hope you have success in your new chosen career.
7

ghostofescobar added 11:39 - Feb 27 Sad news. All the best for the future Luke. Always something special about seeing a local lad, who supports the club, going on to actually play for team he's supported. I'm sure you will make a success of whatever comes next. Good luck.
7

Reecex28 added 11:47 - Feb 27 Class act and wish him the best
3

1psw1ch added 11:48 - Feb 27 such a shame for luke,,, great player and ipswich true and true,,,, all the best for the future
2

dirtydingusmagee added 11:56 - Feb 27 good luck Luke , hope things work out for you in future..
5

raycrawfordswig added 11:57 - Feb 27 Good luck Luke in whatever you decide too do in the future.One of our own.
2

Suffolkboy added 12:01 - Feb 27 Best of luck; your ways positive approach will carry you far .Hopefully the physical injuries are healed enough to allow ‘normal ‘ activities ‘ and to enable you to develop plans for a rewarding future . COYB
2

itfcjoe added 12:06 - Feb 27 Lukey Hyam - He's one of our own! All the best Luke, a player I enjoyed watching for ITFC - local lad done good, but robbed off his career by injury. He was a big miss when injured in 2014/15 and a fine player in our best season in some time.
2

MaySixth added 12:17 - Feb 27 Very sad news, hope he has more luck.
2

BuckieBlue added 12:19 - Feb 27 Always sad to see early retirements but glad he's able to look ahead. All the best to him.
3

TimmyH added 12:22 - Feb 27 Another ITFC home grown player that never went on to better things mainly due to his continued injury woes...sound like anybody else? Always remember the 2012 5-1 game against West Ham when he was outstanding. Wish him all the best in his future endeavours.
3

MonkeyAlan added 13:48 - Feb 27 Good player on his day. Sad the injuries caught up so quickly. Move on and forward though. Up the Town Luke.
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arc added 13:48 - Feb 27 Roy Keane's finest moment: playing Luke in that season opener and getting a huge away win. I remember being astonished and thinking the new dawn had come (a decade ago!). Good luck, Luke, wishing you every success in the next endeavour.
1

Bert added 14:13 - Feb 27 I feel for the lad. He always gave his best and has been unlucky with injuries. Hopefully he will carve out a new career for himself in the physical health field and help others with their own mental health challenges. He certainly was one of our own and proudly so.
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