Hutchinson: I Saw Myself Coming Back Here
Monday, 1st Jul 2024 12:45

New club record signing Omari Hutchinson says he always saw himself coming back to Town following his hugely impressive loan spell last season.

The 20-year-old signed for Town from Chelsea yesterday for an initial fee understood to be £18 million with further top-ups taking it to £22 million. The Jamaica international has signed a five-year deal.

“I’m happy to be back and get started,” he told Town TV. “It feels surreal, really. It’s gone kind of quick. Last year I was signing on loan and here we are today signing on a permanent.

“I’m very excited, I had a good connection with the fans and especially a good connection with the manager, so it wasn’t a hard decision to come here on a permanent and I’m looking forward to it.”

He says the fans and boss Kieran McKenna played a role in him returning: “That played a massive part. When you’re a player, you want that confidence, but with the fans, they give you that extra boost.

“And especially the manager, he trusted me and had full belief in me, so it was a no-brainer to come here.”

Regarding McKenna, he added: “From the go at the start of last season, he told what I need to bring to the team and what I need to work on and he helped me through the whole season last season.

“He was very hard on me, always pushing me during training sessions and stuff like that, trying to get the best out of me. That’s what I need as a player, I always want to improve, so it was good.”

Asked if it felt different to be back at the club as a permanent signing, he reflected: “Not really. I kind of saw myself coming back here. When you sleeping, you have those dreams, especially the last game. It was a pleasure playing here last season and I can’t wait to get started.”

He says his family also forged a connection with the club last season: “When they set foot in the stadium, they felt a good energy about it. When they saw the people as well, the people were really friendly, so it was an easy decision, really, and that was why we came back.”

Looking ahead to his future with the club, he added: “I’ve got huge ambitions for the club, I want to stay in the Premier League with them, play against the biggest teams in the world, which I’m really looking forward to and just doing amazing things with this club.”

Photo: Matchday Images

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ITFCson added 12:51 - Jul 1 Welcome back Omari! Going out and sealing this deal is a real sign of intent from the club, exciting times to be an ITFC supporter
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BlueInBerks added 12:53 - Jul 1 You are very welcome Omari. Can't wait for Prem teams to learn the hard way and give you too much space just outside the box!
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victorysquad added 12:54 - Jul 1

Making players families feel at home with the club and encouraging them to adopt us and become part of the Ipswich family is incredibly important. As supporters we should continue to make every players family most welcome, because it is talented players like Omari who are going to take us back to where we want to be, and that is in Europe. We want European football back at portman road.

baxterbasics added 12:54 - Jul 1 He'll be scoring for us in the Champions League before that contract is up.
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TractorBoy66307 added 12:57 - Jul 1 Welcome back to Portman Road Omari and here's wishing you every success with your career as a Tractor Boy, a fantastic contribution last season and I'm sure it will be the same from here onwards, Uppa Towen...!!
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ArnieM added 13:27 - Jul 1 Welcome HOME Omari ….
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OldFart71 added 13:33 - Jul 1 Welcome back Omari. Just part of what could be an amazing jigsaw of players coming in. Feel sure there will be several following you through the PR doors and my guess is that this transfer record might go again before the close of this window.
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RobsonWark added 13:50 - Jul 1 LOVE this: “I’ve got huge ambitions for the club, I want to stay in the Premier League with them, play against the biggest teams in the world, which I’m really looking forward to and just doing amazing things with this club.”
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Dutchman1 added 14:18 - Jul 1 An excellent young man. Has been and will remain a credit to the football club.
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Marinersnose added 14:30 - Jul 1

Omari is still a developing talent who was slowly and carefully introduced and developed by KMK. Many fans ,myself included wanted more of him earlier in the season but KMK restricted game time and the final few months of the season he was such a force in the team. He gets bums off seats and I’m sure he’s going to continue to improve in the PL.
Statement of intent from the club. We aren’t just here for the ride. We mean business

Bazza8564 added 14:49 - Jul 1 Wonderful young man, knows the group, knows the system and will only get better with age. WHAT a first signing as a statement of intent!
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IpswichT62OldBoy added 14:53 - Jul 1 I think Premiership sides are in for a surprise. All I am hearing is "you lot are going straight back down", they don't have a clue what is coming at them.
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baxterbasics added 16:14 - Jul 1 We saw it too, Hutch. Though I did wonder if it was just a dream...
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BotesdaleBlue added 16:17 - Jul 1

I love the comments about the fans and his family's very positive impression of the club and the people they met. This type of feedback is priceless and wonderful to hear, as we fans would never really know this sort of intangible detail unless the player brings it out in interview.

To think that these impressions, even in a small way, helped feed into his overall decision to want to join us is brilliant.

wischip added 16:22 - Jul 1 We were underestimated 22 years ago. I hope they all underestimate us again. We hit the ground running before any one takes us seriously. Just like last season really.
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therein61 added 17:20 - Jul 1 Welcome back Omari great to have you onboard again keep lifting our rear ends off seats as often as you did last season.
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