Blues forward Sone Aluko says he’d be happy to stay at Portman Road beyond the end of the season when his contract is up but feels the matter currently isn't a pressing concern.

Aluko signed a one-year deal with the club having an option for a further campaign when he joined the Blues in the summer having left Reading.

Manager Kieran McKenna recently said that talks with players who are out of contract are still to take place and Aluko fully understands why that’s the case.

“Not yet and I wouldn’t really expect there to be until probably the end of the season,” he told TWTD. “It’s not something I feel is a pressing concern right now.

“I’d be happy to stay, but I’ve been in football a long time and things change very quickly. When the conversation happens, I’m sure we’ll come to some agreement at some point.

“I’ve enjoyed my time here, I’ve enjoyed my performances here, so I’d be happy to stay and we’ll see what happens on that front.”

Aluko is confident he could still play up a division if Town were to win promotion: “Yes, for sure. This has been my first year out of the Championship and it’s been different, to be honest, that’s been a part of adjusting to coming here, facing new teams, new stadiums.

“Physically I still feel that I can play for many more years. I can still play at a higher level, for sure, so if we get promoted that will be a conversation.

“But I think that was why the conversation will happen a lot later, I think the club will want to know where they’re at and what they want to do with players.”

Going back to the summer, Aluko joined the Blues having been released by the Royals after four years at the Madejski Stadium.

Asked whether that led to a period of uncertainty, he said: “Not really. At that point you know the game, I’m fortunate to have been in the game a long time, so I knew the opportunities that would potentially be there.

“You’re not going to wait until the very end of your contract to start thinking about what could happen.

“If you have good contacts in the game you know that this club are interested or this manager likes me, my agent’s heard about this person, so I was fortunate that I had an idea of what potential opportunities I could have.

“Also for me a big factor was that I want to enjoy my football. I’ve been fortunate to have had a successful enough career that I’ve earned good money, I’ve played at big clubs, I’ve been abroad, so I can make a choice which isn’t just purely the highest contract, it’s where I’m going to enjoy it the most.

“If I have to spend a year here, two years, three years and had to retire at this club, would I enjoy the rest of my career at this club? That was factor in my decision-making in the summer and then Ipswich was one of those clubs which really ticked that box.

“It’s an ambitious project, at the time the club had a manager whose teams I’d played against before so he knew how I played and we sat down and it worked.

“I was close to joining other clubs before that, people know I did pre-season at Derby, Wayne Rooney’s obviously a big pull, I knew his assistant Liam Rosenior, I was a team-mate with him [at Hull], so that was another that I thought ‘This could be enjoyable, they know me, they know how I like to play’.

“But once that didn’t look likely, the same day I drove from Derby straight to Ipswich and signed here.

“I was keen to come here and I’ve enjoyed it this year and I’m sure there are still a lot of high moments in the season left.”

What does he plan to do once his playing career does come to an end? Has he got an eye on coaching?

“That’s another thing I’ve spoken to the manager a lot about, just picking his brain on coaching or working somewhere else in the club, I don’t know, I really don’t know,” he said.

“I want to keep that option quite broad, I will do courses and see what I enjoy but it’s something to think about more out of the season.

“Once I’m in the season I’m pretty focused on the next game, then the next game, so it’s hard to really plan for that but I will, especially at the end of this season, start really looking at what are the roles at the club I’d enjoy doing where I think I could bring benefits to a club, so we’ll see.”

As well as Town’s games coming thick and fast, Aluko has also had other things to think about latterly with his wife having given birth to their first child, a daughter, late in January.

“It’s been a real fun, exciting, life-changing month,” he reflected. “A lot of change. Mentally it changes you a lot, your focus changes, your priorities change, already I feel that. It’s been a real blessing.”

Meanwhile, he says his sister, 102-times capped England international forward Eni, is still to make it to Portman Road to catch him in action having taken over as sporting director at Los Angeles-based Angel City in May last year.

“She’s not been to a game yet!” he laughed. “But obviously she follows all our results. She’s moved out to America now, so she’s not able to get to many.

“Throughout our careers, we’ve always kept an eye on each other’s results and picked each other’s brains about games, what we think in football just generally, not necessarily our own games as such, just a natural conversation we’ve always had.

“Helping each other out, with psychological things or tactical things, whatever it is.”

Was she a big influence on your career? “She’s two years older than me, so especially in the early days. Now it’s different, obviously I’m very experienced and she’s at a different stage of her career. The information flow is very much both ways.

“I’m obviously proud of what she’s achieved in her career as a player and now she’s a sporting director. She’s like a shining light for me to see, ‘What would that be like if followed that path? What would that be like?’. It’s been good to have her around.”

Photo: Matchday Images

TractorCam added 20:10 - Feb 21 Whether we are in the Championship or League One next season, i'd be very happy having Sone here for another year. He's been a solid, consistent player and is very level headed.
10

KiwiTractor added 20:13 - Feb 21 Me too. Deserves a new contract. One year, with an additional year option for the club...
2

chopra777 added 20:14 - Feb 21 Even if we slip up in the play offs . We will have a fantastic squad for automatic promotion the following season. This has been the most encouraging season since we beat Barnsley in the play off finals. Our fate is not in our hands and still needs some luck.
3

Veggie added 20:23 - Feb 21 Sounds like he and McKenna get on very well. He's an intelligent and professional character and I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up staying on as a coach when his career is finally over.
6

OwainG1992 added 20:28 - Feb 21 More than happy for him to get a 1 year extension. Such a classy footballer. You can tell he has that premier league level mindset. Can't help but we wish he was about 5 years younger!
5

ITFC_Cotton added 21:41 - Feb 21 Certainly the best on the ball player we have at the club in my opinion, almost the the ball is glued to his feet and so calm under pressure. Be more than happy to see him play for us next season.
3

Bert added 22:55 - Feb 21 Aluko has been great. He clearly is fit, light on his feet and I certainly would like him at the club next year.
4

BluedanW added 23:22 - Feb 21 Keep him on definitely. A great player at this level and championship. I'd be tempted to keep him on further in the future and help him on his way into coaching.
4

Bluearmy71 added 23:49 - Feb 21 Well if that's not commitment to ITFC then nothing is, I agree with comments thus far I'd be delighted to have him here for a good few years to come, I knew he was a good player having seen him play against us but had no idea of just how good he truly is watching him play for Town! Make it happen!!
3

uppersirbob added 08:27 - Feb 22 Sign him up for another year plus the option of one after Been excellent for us and sounds fully committed to ITFC
0

Monkey_Blue added 08:45 - Feb 22 I'm among many who didn't see the point of this signing but I'm delighted to say I was wrong. Good player and great attitude. He's not a goal machine as his record shows but not everyone has to be for a team to work.
2

Bazza8564 added 08:46 - Feb 22 Looks like 100% for you to stay then Sonne, and I hope you do. At 33 he will be in his twilight years but with careful management he could go to 35/6. Sensible pro, just the sort we want in this new ITFC
2

BlueBlood90 added 09:01 - Feb 22 He's been the most surprising signing of the season for me. I really didn't understand signing him at the time but he's been superb. A really consistent performer and I think we always look far more dangerous when he's in the side.
3

Razor added 10:56 - Feb 22 I bet he would be happy to stay!! Methinks we will be frying bigger fish next year though.
-1

Unhinged_dynamo added 11:17 - Feb 22 He was the signing that I got most excited about when he came, he is a very good player especially at this level and one up, he also seems to be a mature and settled personality which we need. I'd take the option of the year extra, if we get promoted I'd hope to see him extend again albeit play less as he ages
1

Linkboy13 added 11:21 - Feb 22 Yes definitely worth another one year deal but dont know if he would be tempted by that and possibly hoping for two years.
0

not_a_witty_name added 16:55 - Feb 22 I'm going to compare him to John Wark, I hope he retires once we've secured promotion to the Premier League! So give him a 2 year contract - that should do it!
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls