Former Rangers defender George Edmundson has compared his League One experience with Town as similar to that during his two seasons north of the border with the Glasgow giants.

Used to teams turning up at Portman Road with a defensive mindset, Tuesday’s visit of Cambridge United being the latest example, the strapping defender says it reminds him of his stay in Scotland before returning south to join the Blues 14 months ago.

Edmundson, 25, said: “When I was with Rangers it was exactly the same. Teams would come to Ibrox and sit everyone behind the ball, look for free-kicks and try to slow the game down.

“They were all looking to keep it at 0-0 and get that one chance to nick a goal against the run of play. It’s just one of those things that we need to overcome and so far we’re doing okay.”

Talking of Rangers, the Town defender met up this week with one of the Glasgow club’s most fervent fans, none other than Blues legend John Wark, who has consistently claimed that the only disappointment in an otherwise glittering career was that he never played for his boyhood favourites.

Edmundson said: “Not only did I meet John for the first time the other day, he also gave me a present. He was at the Champions League game between Liverpool and Rangers at Anfield on Tuesday and had a spare programme that he gave to me, which was very kind of him.

“I like to collect programmes, not just from the games I play in but others I attend, so it was a bonus to get my hands on that one. I keep them all at my mum’s — there must be about 50 shoe boxes full of them there!

“It’s a good one to add to my collection and I’ll tell you how pleased I was — I completely forgot to ask him to sign it! It was only afterwards that I realised my mistake so I’ll have to make sure I get him to sign it next time I see him.

“I was buzzing to be told John was jealous of me for having played for Rangers, which had been his ambition from a very early age, but having seen what he achieved with Ipswich, Liverpool and Scotland I think it’s me who should be jealous of his career.”

Edmundson recalled the disappointment of having last season cut short by a nasty ankle ligament injury sustained in the 2-0 home win over Lincoln back in March, which saw him absent from the remaining nine league fixtures, from only two of which Town emerged victorious.

Boss Kieran McKenna delivered news of his defender’s injury, warning he would be out for the foreseeable future, and it was initially feared Edmundson would require surgery, although that didn’t prove to be the case.

Edmundson sighed: “I was a long time recovering from it and I didn’t have anything like a proper break in the summer. When the season finished and everyone went off on their holidays, I had to stay down here for two weeks with a physio to do more work on my rehab.

“I then got booked into a gym in Manchester, which meant I could at least go home and see my family and friends, and I was in there every day from 9am to 5pm. I was in the gym and in the pool, and that continued for the rest of the off-season until we reported back for training.

“I still wasn’t fully fit by then so I had another couple of weeks with the physios again before I could join in the training. Eventually, I became fully fit but it was made clear to me that it had been a bad injury and I knew it myself from how I felt.

“It probably took a bit longer because you go back and you think you are fit but then you realise you need more time. I snapped my ligaments and the process takes time.

“My ankle didn’t feel loose or anything like that but the scar tissue made it feel like it wasn’t right. It was just a case of getting on with it and I’m now feeling good again. I still spend time working on it in the gym but I’m fully fit again.

Asked to assess his season so far, Edmundson added: “I’d say it has been a story of a few ups and downs. I know I’ve made mistakes along the way but I’ve been happy with my form in the last few games.

“The same thing happens to everyone in a season and you can’t be 10 out of 10 all the time, just as you’re not going to be one out of 10 in every game. You’re going to be up and down throughout the season and it’s just about getting the consistency.

“I’ve said before that the gaffer is brilliant and he has created such a really good team spirit here. There are going to be times when the gaffer will feel Cam [Burgess] is better suited to play and other times he will pick me.

“We play in the same position but we each bring different qualities to the table. The gaffer has made it clear to us all that he will make changes as and when, but at the end of the day it’s a team sport and for the players it’s a squad game because it applies to every position.

“Healthy competition, that’s what it is, and it is good for the club because it should keep everyone on their toes. We’re all competing for places and the greater the depth of quality within the squad, the stiffer the competition becomes.

“You come in to train and know you have to give your best; it’s not just in games. We all know our attitude in training is going to play a part in what team the gaffer picks at the weekend.”

Second-placed Town make the long journey to the north west for Saturday’s away clash with bottom-of-the-table Morecambe looking to go one better than at the same venue last season, an 86th minute goal by Wes Burns rescuing a point in a 1-1 draw in February.

Edmundson said: “Everybody knows these can be really tough games. Small stadium, tight pitch and it’s not been the best of pitches in the past, although I’m not sure how it is at the moment.

“We’re going there expecting a tough game and we just want to make sure we stick to our principles. That means playing the way we play and not getting drawn into the sort of game that might suit Morecambe more.

“The way we’ve started this season has given us a great platform but you know what they say, it’s a marathon not a sprint. Ipswich have been in this position before in previous years and it hasn’t ended up the way they wanted.

“I know the fans have heard it all before but we just have to take it one game at a time. It’s a boring cliché but that’s how it has to be. If you start getting too far ahead of yourselves that’s when you start falling away and you can crumble.

“We plan meticulously for every game. I know Morecambe keeper Connor Ripley from my Oldham days and from some comments I read on Twitter earlier I think we can tell what sort of game they will be looking for on Saturday.

“Obviously, you don’t want to read too much into what they’re doing. We know what they’re about but at the end of the day we want to play our game.

“On Tuesday against Cambridge we had to be patient. I think they only had four shots on target so it means we are only defending properly for very few occasions per game.

“The gaffer always speaks about moments when we’ve got to be totally switched on. Concentration is a massive thing and it’s something the gaffer and Richard Keogh remind us about regularly.”

Edmundson has been in excellent form recently, his ability to bring the ball out from the back a quality that few defenders in League One possess to the same level. “It’s something the gaffer has tried to improve in my game,” he revealed. “I felt I was doing it more last season and we’ve had a few little chats about it. He wants me to do more of it and I will because I know it helps the team.”

But despite catching the eye of his many admirers among the Town faithful, Edmundson has a bone to pick with those responsible for the ratings in FIFA 23, the latest — and final — instalment of the globally popular football simulation video game launched last week.

He laughed: “I was annoyed about how they rated my pace — I got 48, which is harsh in my view — because I know I’m definitely quicker than Woolfy [Luke Woolfenden]. I’m hoping we can have a race and get it on the cameras so I can show everyone that I’m quicker.”

Watch this space!

Photo: Matchday Images

therein61 added 18:35 - Oct 6 Another positive interview about the team spirit and all buying into what K.M is building here and accepting that changes in line up will be made as the manager picks his side for upcoming opposition, What a refreshing change from the drivel that we have had to endure in the last few seasons. C.O.Y.B
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gosblue added 21:44 - Oct 6 It explains why he went down with cramp on Tuesday. That and the way all the CBs go box to box at every opportunity. I love that everyone of our squad can be trusted to put in a shift. I thought Cambridge defended brilliantly. It was as though they were down to ten men from the kick off and they only pressed in their defensive third and even managed a couple of half chances themselves. To their credit they didn't do an Accrington and try to stop us by kicking us. Even Portsmouth did a bit of that. What will Morecambe do? COYB

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ArnieM added 22:05 - Oct 6 Kick us, I suspect!
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