Sacked Town manager George Burley says that he is itching to get back into management after his dismissal from Portman Road. He also says that there has been progress on negotiating a settlement between himself and the club.

Being out of football is an unusual experience for the Scot: "It's a strange feeling when you've been involved, as a player since 1971, and as a manager for over eleven years.

"It's different really when, at the weekend, you've got no involvement in games, so the last month has been a case of recharging the batteries. I've been away, I've been to Scotland and had a week away with my family, I went to see a friend in Scandinavia, so it's been relaxing.

"I think when you're involved as a manager, you're totally committed seven days a week and your mind is churning all the time and that commitment is so great. So it's been nice to relax but I'm gradually thinking 'I wish I was involved again', but certainly I think a little time off doesn't do you any harm.

"No doubt it was a big blow to me leaving Ipswich after almost eight years and that will take a little while just to come to terms with, but at the moment I'm just relaxing and taking stock."

Currently the club are honouring his his contract, thought to be worth £10,000-a-week to the former manager, however he says discussions regarding this are continuing: "I think things are progressing [with the settlement]. Ipswich are a tremendous club and they told me when I left that they would honour my contract.

A return to management is his ultimate aim but at the moment he is happy to have some time off: "I haven't been out for too long so I'm fairly fresh but I've been approached on a couple of occasions and I think clubs know that certain managers might be available because they're out of work.

"You might get contacted by the chief executive or whoever is dealing with the appointment, so it's a case at the moment of sitting still. Everybody tells me that it'll do me good to have a break and 'don't rush into anything' and I need time off just to recharge my batteries, so that's what I'm doing at the moment."

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