TWTD understands Town have told striker James Norwood and midfielder Tom Carroll that they are to be released at the end of the season with the frontman having confirmed his departure.

The duo are among the players who are out of contract this summer and their exits come as little surprise.

We understand the pair met with manager Kieran McKenna yesterday when they were told their contracts would not be renewed.

McKenna has held meetings with players over the last few days which he says will continue until Sunday.

Norwood, who joined Town on a free transfer from Tranmere in the summer of 2019, made 26 appearances this season, scoring six times having spent a spell training with the U23s during Paul Cook’s time as boss.

In total, he scored 27 goals in 57 starts and 28 appearances from the bench.

The club had an option to keep the striker, whose time with Town was punctuated by injuries and off-field controversy, for a further season.

A number of League One clubs are understood to have been monitoring the 31-year-old’s situation among them Wigan Athletic and Oxford United.

The striker has issued a statement on social media confirming that tomorrow's match at home to Charlton will be his final game for the club and thanking various people he has worked with during his time at the club including former U23s manager Kieron Dyer, veteran academy coach Bryan Klug and the physios, while stating that the club is "in good hands" under manager Kieran McKenna and his staff.

Carroll, 29, signed on a free transfer last summer having left QPR and has had an injury-hit campaign, making only 11 starts and six sub appearances for the Blues.

Photo: Matchday Images

Buryblue78 added 21:21 - Apr 29 Carroll neat and tidy passing but little else Norwood plenty of effort sometimes too much but lacking guile I'd suggest a Will Keane type player would suit KMK style of football Let's hope we upgrade for next year rather than the sideways and backward steps taken over the last 20 years Good luck to both and thanks for your efforts
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runningout added 21:36 - Apr 29 JN won't be short of clubs. If I was at a club like Peterborough for instance I'd ask him. Goes for a player like Bonne too. Guaranteed they'd play well v us :-)
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Wooly74 added 21:36 - Apr 29 There's a lot of arm chair Worldy players posting on here!!! Good luck Nors, I for one appreciate your passion and effort 👍
5

chepstowblue added 22:28 - Apr 29 It is a classy statement from Norwood, laced with self deprecation, sarcasm and devilment.Qualities that I really enjoy. There's no doubt that his off field activities and lack of restraint on it had me often labelling him as a 'n*b', and his agricultural style of play never really appealed to me. But a trier he certainly was and I'm sure that he's capable of another couple of seasons at this level. I can't say I'd be too worried if he were lining up against us. Good luck all the same. Tom Carroll will be a name that in a few yrs time I'll never remember having ever been connected with us. A shame, as having seen him at Spurs at QPR was undoubtedly a lad with plenty of ability. Echoing the sentiments of a previous post...i don't believe he was ever fully fit.

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Steelmonkey added 22:31 - Apr 29 I can't really disagree with this decision, I've not been a fan of his on field antics by which I mean his attitude of going out of his way to argue against decisions with the officials which I feel have stopped him getting the benefit of decisions when fouled by opposing players and therefore important moments that could have gone our way. Having said that in my opinion Nor's has worked his socks off for the team, scored some important goals and gained us some vital points and at the same time made some really silly mistakes. Injuries aside he has had enough appearances to have made a bigger mark at the club and looking at the way I think McKenna wants the team to play he doesn't have the fit that's required. I wish you all the best JN for the future just don't go scoring against us when we next meet 😂. I thought it odd when Tom Carroll came he only got offered a years contract considering his background, having seen his performances this term I can see why, but this league does him no justice. It's great to see us playing such good football this season but let's face it how many teams above and below us have we outplayed for most of the game and come away with only draws or losses. We need players to sharpen up, those that can't having been given their opportunities have to go and replacements found, I don't think that these two players will be the last to depart at this seasons end. COYB's upper town.

2

benfromkent added 23:02 - Apr 29 Nice farewell statement from Norwood, which is always appreciated, he's one you'd always back to score. Good luck to you and thanks for your efforts and goals at the club! Carroll on the other hand I will not miss in the slightest. Although many of us have tried to forget Barrow away in the cup, I will never forget his performance that night (and numerous comparable performances since). I don't recall ever seeing a player so inept and out of his depth as I did that night. Sorry Tom but that'll be my only recollection of you going forward. Fingers crossed you'll do better elsewhere. Will be another interesting summer at Ipswich and I'm excited about that.

1

muhrensleftfoot added 08:11 - Apr 30 I think we should have taken up the option on Norwood for another year. The best striker at the club. No doubt we will sign another striker or two, but what a great back up on the bench or injury cover. I guess his off field misdemeanours may have contributed and probably his wages. Can't disagree with letting Carroll go.
1

Ipswichbusiness added 08:55 - Apr 30 It's odd that we didn't take up Norwood's option. Presumably KMK decided that he wasn't worth the wages and we wouldn't have earned much of a fee by selling him. I suppose that with salary caps in mind it frees up some space for another striker.
1

dirtydingusmagee added 09:05 - Apr 30 Muhrensleftfoot, he may have been the best striker at the club ,thats your opinion and you are entitled to it , BUT he is not good enough, if we were just happy to jog along in Lge1 thats fine, but we need better to progress and at least get back to Championship, 3 years in Lge 1 is 3 years too many . This coming season we must get it right from the off, and keep it going till the end, thats how clubs get promoted.

1

ringwoodblue added 09:56 - Apr 30 Carroll - good decision as he offered very little Norwood - in a season where we've struggled for goals, we are getting rid of arguably our best goal scorer. Time will tell but I don't think this is a good decision.
0

Marinersnose added 09:58 - Apr 30 Good luck Norwood and Carrol. Norwood had his moments and will always be a handful physically in league one. Carrol is clearly a neat and tidy player with an excellent cv but League One is not for him. He'd do okay in the Championship I'm sure but this football is a different game.
0

inghamspur added 12:22 - Apr 30 I would also expect the following to have had their time here :- Hladky Penny Thompson Evans Bakinson Piggott Bonne Possibly Celina
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TimmyH added 13:43 - Apr 30 Not really surprising, certainly with Carroll whose been poor!...Hopefully a few others can be shipped out as well for a fee i.e. Piggot etc.
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TimmyH added 13:44 - Apr 30 I should say all the best James in future endeavours, just not against us.
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Cheshire_Blue added 13:53 - May 1 James Norwood is man whose heart is in the right place and a great parting statement. Always gave 100% on the field but did not enjoy the best of luck fitness wise. Off the field he was his own worst enemy and hopefully he has now learned his lesson. It is probably the right time to try his luck elsewhere and I wish him well for the rest of his career.
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Facefacts added 17:57 - May 1 This isn't the right decision on James Norwood, but I'm not surprised. He is the only player who gets stuck in to the opposition, gees up the crowd, has any sort of goalscoring record. I will be OK with it if we can get a better striker and we will find that out only When Autumn Comes but even if we do it just makes our squad more powderpuff and susceptible to the ch--ting of Accrington, Cambridge, Oxford, and any others who just know how League One works with the low grade and sometimes incomprehensible refereeing. If you really think this decision through, we are going to need a very high level striker to take an ambition reducing move to a mid table League One club and probably have to pay him a higher wage than James Norwood, and it is a risk that we will end up even more toothless than this season.

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blueboy1981 added 19:05 - May 1 One of a ‘few' in the Squad with ‘grit and bite' to his game - Nors has never been plated to his strengths with us, but still did himself proud. Now watch ‘Nors' Knockers' - just how difficult he will be to replace. He's not the first player to come here, and never played to their strengths. An ITFC trait unfortunately. I think some of you could be in for a shock in actually getting players in - but hope I'm wrong, because many could be very disappointed if that be the case. Another ‘uncertain' close season ahead … !!!

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blueboy1981 added 19:08 - May 1 Will Keane ! - another player ‘wasted' here, and gone in to much better things !! Just saying …. !!!
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blueboy1981 added 19:17 - May 1 Don't be surprised to see Norwood at Peterborough, on a two year deal … !!!
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