Keeper Christian Walton is delighted to have extended his time with the Blues for a further year, to the summer of 2029.

Walton, 30, is now the longest-serving player at the club and one of two, alongside Leif Davis, to have been part of the squad which won three promotions in four seasons.

“I am absolutely delighted,” Walton told TownTV. “This is the place I call home now and I am thrilled that will continue.

“I’ve lived in Suffolk for five years now and have loved every minute of being here and playing for the club. It has been an amazing journey so far.”

Walton came back into the team in October last year following an injury to Alex Palmer and kept hold of the shirt for the rest of the season as the Blues won promotion back to the top flight at the first time of asking.

The 30-year-old suffered a foot injury early in pre-season but returned to action in the Carabao Cup ties before making his first premier League appearance of the season at Everton.

“Really excited going into a Premier League calendar and an exciting one,” he continued. “I think last year was a great year for myself.

“Probably generated a bit of interest through the summer months but I always wanted to be at Ipswich, so to commit my future here was the main aim.

“And the club putting their trust in me and offering me the new deal’s obviously great, so I’m really happy.”

Reflecting on joining the Blues from Brighton on loan in the summer of 2021 before making the switch permanent the following January, he added: “When I initially signed for the club, I was probably at a stage of my career and life where I wanted to find a home. I had a few loan spells and it got a bit tedious moving in and out of houses and relocating.

“It’s not just the fact I’ve been here for five years which makes it feel like home, it’s the connection I have with the club, players, staff and supporters. Every time I put the Ipswich Town shirt on it means the world to me, and that’s a special feeling.”

Walton says working with the Town’s head of goalkeeping has seen his game progress.

“Rene Gilmartin has been a huge part of my journey here,” Walton said. “Last season I probably saw the growth I had made.

“I think that comes from working with him and the other goalkeepers over time. It doesn’t just happen overnight, it’s gradual processes and improving small percentages.

“We’ve always had a competitive group and the goalkeeping unit is probably the most competitive it has been right now, in terms of my time at the club.

“Going into a Premier League season you need strength in every position, so it was always going to be the case that we would strive for three, four, or five good goalkeepers at the club at a time.

“For me it’s competition and competition is healthy. It helps me improve and it helps the other goalkeepers improve.

“I want to be a goalkeeper who has played at the highest possible level and that competition helps push you.

“My goal is to just play as much football as possible for Ipswich Town, but I also want to be good for the squad, a good person at the football club, help however I can and things like that.

“It could be that you’re helping the new players settle in, or helping with community visits for the Foundation, but it’s all very important. I’ve been here long enough that I know I can be a big part of those things, and that’s what I want to continue.”

Photo: Matchday Images