New Blues signing Darnell Furlong says the prospect of joining Town ignited something inside him, the 29-year-old’s move from West Brom having been confirmed earlier this evening.

Furlong has joined the club for £3.5 million plus a further £500,000 if the Blues win promotion this season.

“The ambition of the club,” Furlong told TownTV when asked what attracted him to Town. “When you’re an outsider in the Championship looking in, you want to be in a club that’s doing what Ipswich is doing, sending a real signal of intent, so to be part of that is really nice.”

The switch came about quickly, something the one-time QPR trainee, his father Paul was a player with the Hoops, says comes with the territory.

“I think you get used to it as a player, it’s happened to me before where you’re comfortable where you are and think aren’t really changing,” he added.

“And then all of a sudden, it’s all change and you’re out the door. That happens in our line of work and it’s something to get your head round and just get on the grass.”

He says he was excited by the interest.: “Definitely, especially because of how Ipswich are doing things at the moment and the ambition of the club. It’s definitely ignited something inside.”

Luton-born Furlong says manager Kieran McKenna outlined where he sees him slotting in at Town.

“I had a great conversation, just filled me with confidence in terms of the project, myself and how I fit into it,” he continued.

“Really excited and it’s always nice when coming into it you have no questions of what you’re doing, it’s a straightforward one.”

Furlong is the sixth ex-West Brom player at Town, joining skipper Dara O’Shea, Conor Townsend, David Button, Alex Palmer and Cedric Kipre.

“There’s a back five that I’ve played with already at the club, which is nice,” he laughed. “Nice to help settle in. Great people, so it’s nice to be linking up with them again.”

Reflecting on playing at Portman Road in the past, he added: “A tough atmosphere as an away player and I think that’s important.

“Being a home player now, if we can continue to replicate that tough atmosphere for the away team, I think it will stand us in good stead.”

During 2023/24 he faced the Blues on their way to promotion from the Championship, scoring as the Baggies won 2-0 at the Hawthorns with the Portman Road fixture ending 2-2.

“I just remember it being a very well-drilled team, a team that even though we beat them on the day we felt were going to be good that year,” he recalled.

“It was a shame that we didn’t manage to kick on ourselves at the time, but everything happens how it happens and I’m happy to be here now.”

He says is aim is to help the Blues back into the Premier League: “I love it, I’ve been promoted before with West Brom and it was one of the greatest seasons, greatest times of my life. It was brilliant, so it would be really nice to be able to do that again.”

Asked what fans can expect of him, he added: “Just someone who gives everything. I’m experienced in the league now, which I think I use to my benefit. How I can help the team, however I’m asked to help the team, I’ll look forward to doing it.”

Long throws have become something of a trademark, so should fans anticipate a few of them? “Maybe, we’ll see!”

Photo: ITFC

Dutchman1 added 21:25 - Aug 28 Welcome Darnell. Good to have you along for the ride.
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Bazza8564 added 07:01 - Aug 29 Another good piece in a jigsaw that is looking stronger by the day. Welcome fella
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tractordamage added 08:51 - Aug 29 At least he can see the 'intent' of Ipswich staff, Gamechanger and co. There are multiple Ipswich 'fans' who have been throwing toys out of the pram, when they don't get their way on demand. But good negotiation takes time. McKenna and Ashton have replaced good players with better more valuable players. Always the same tactic, it great to see. Like all newly-constructed teams, who need to prepare for the next phase, new players will need to be 'drilled' into our system. And settle in too. Best of luck, Darnell. Go get 'em.

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JewellintheTown added 08:58 - Aug 29 Can't help thinking of My Name is Earl when I hear Darnells name. Hope he's brought Mr Turtle with him.
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darkhorse28 added 09:14 - Aug 29 Tractordamage we’ll be net sales of £70 million at the close of the window give or take. With parachute revenue, most clubs don’t have to sell, we obviously spent £150 plus million on th last 12 months, on EFL players that were young, so we could retain them longer term . We didn’t retain a single player from our better ones. You could argue O’Shea at a push. So can you please define using facts and not child like emotions, how that constitutes Gamechanger showing intent? I assume you meant intent to develop, not to move assets in to cash.., lots of our signings are loans. And you say Ashto has replaced players with. Better ones…, we’ve spent £190 million on new player at the end of this window. So you think we’ll do better than 96 points and a side that cost £10 million. And these improved players .., which are better than Broadhead. Delap, Hutchinson and Sam and even Tuenzabe .., which one specifically are a step up? Bizarre statement. It’s almost like Chelsea and Forest didn’t want players never good enough for the prem like most of our new arrivals. By definition they aren’t a step forward.., and they aren’t our players where they do have promise. Your level of blind emotional investment holds our club back. You CANT scrutinise, critically evaluate, or add any value, you aren’t capable of it. You can follow. You can parrot. You can say anything Ashton wants you to say. You just can’t step back, measure, and even use basic common sense. No. These planters aren’t better than Delap, or Hutchinson, and no, £70 million plus raised, NET, is a tacit measure of a failed strategy, not validation of success. Success would be not having the worst season in your history, not signing mostly loans, but selling most of your best players, and not seeing WBA as aspirational. Your blind cult like can’t is toxic. There’s no point bedwettjng but there’s no point being a cimleteky enkty vessel of Ashton either. That’s not support …, it’s devoid of support…, can’t you do it think or say anything that has actual integrity, such is your need for validation. The club needed scrutiny. You arrived with a clawing need to be liked. That’s not support. And we’re for sale, that’s why loans have replaced talent that will likely play for England - guessing you think Furlong has a higher ceiling…, bizarre.

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blues1 added 09:24 - Aug 29 Darkhorse28 yet again you come on talking the same old bs. How is the net sales gonna be £70m? Thsts what we've brought in, but we've also paid out money too. Try getting ur facts right before posting. Just shut up with ur bs thst the club is for sale.
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darkhorse28 added 09:27 - Aug 29 A good addition of one or two move on, McKenna like a massive squad. That’s four right backs when all fit. Big squads when you’re winning are fine, not sure KM has ever had to manage a huge squad when losing every week, that’s a recipe for being undermined and factions. I’d guess at least one will move out. As for airing to be more WBA, it’s so instructive of where our strategic failures sit. Frighteningly poor.., not one of our WBA massive has any kind of elite ceiling. The new strategy, seems to be EFL experience rather than EFL youth. It will improve our retention…, but for all the wrong reasons. Button, Kipre, Furlong, Townsend, Palmer.., they’re two levels off the premier league quality .., even O’Shea might never make that level. Townsend would have been great at this level. It’s not the progress that was sold, or having parachute revenue warrants. Muddy thinking.., the strategic equivalent of Louie Spence doing a sponsored silence.

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blues1 added 09:27 - Aug 29 Darkhorse28 cold. The club is not for sale you moron. As for us bringing in loans? Of course we are gonna use the loan system. We've just been relegated and arent gonn azwamt for risk being obligated to big wages for certain players should we not go up. It's called good financial management. Something you know nothing about, obviously.
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jas0999 added 09:34 - Aug 29 Good signing in my option. Think he will add something and miles better that he’s our player rather than a loan.
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bricor2011 added 09:36 - Aug 29 Born in Luton, he wil soon acclimatise to Ipswich then.
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tractordamage added 09:59 - Aug 29 darkhorse28. It's hard to understand your point lol, with all the Projection of your own toxic traits in the middle of your comments. And try to spell a bit better, before unleashing sociopathic abuse. Aside from the Relegation necessities of selling Delap and Hutchison - which you used to Deflect and re-write Reality - they have replaced players with better ones, on almost every occasion. Are you not aware of their values and reputations?...whether it be on Transfermarket or a well-researched computer game. You seem to struggle with Logic, Reality, Critical Thinking and Self-Awareness. You have sociopathic traits too. You sound like a Covert Narcissist, fella.

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BlueRuin69 added 12:24 - Aug 29 Dark horse mate your ranting.......chill
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