New signing Darren Currie said his world had been turned upside-down by a whirlwind 24 hours which ended with his move to Town being completed. Midfielder Currie, who has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal, was paraded in front of the press at Portman Road this afternoon.

Currie, 30, said he only became aware of the move on Thursday: "My world has been turned upside-down over the last 24 hours. It's been a mixture of excitement and shock and I am thrilled to join such a massive club as Ipswich. The players are confident we can win promotion and I've come here to play my part.

"I wasn't aware of the interest until yesterday morning. I was shocked, surprised and thrilled to bits that the interest was there. Now I can't wait to get going.

"It was a very easy decision to make. I've only been at Brighton a short time and I think everyone there will understand that it's an opportunity I had to take."

Manager Joe Royle says his new signing is in the best form of his life at present: "Negotiating started after the Brighton game, it was then we made the first enquiry. We'd had good reports of his progress, I think everyone in football's always been aware of his ability, and the reports said he was playing the best football of his career.

"He gives us a lot more options. He plays left or right or, as we saw in the Brighton game, he can play as a spare striker.

"We haven't had a winger in the camp since I've been here. My teams in the past have always had wide players to sling crosses in, so it's nice to have that variation."

Royle says he is very pleased to have spent his first serious cash since coming to Town two years ago: "I only became aware recently that we might have a few shillings to spend and I'm delighted with who we've spent them on.

"I spoke to the chief scout after what I'd seen here and also the rest of the staff, and it was a unanimous thumbs up."

Royle says that Currie might have got a move to a bigger club earlier in his career: "I think at the right time he might have had a chance. Sometimes people look at what's wrong and not what's right.

"He crosses superbly and that's a bit of a dying art in our game. There aren't too many wide people around with the added versatility of playing right or left, being two-footed, and also being able to play a fill-in role up front."

Chief executive Derek Bowden says the financial side of the deal was helped by recently issued loan notes: "We've had a campaign in the last six months of trying to raise money through loan notes. A few more of those have come in over recent weeks.

"On top of that, gates are good - ahead of where we forecast and budgeted - we've got a good home FA Cup tie against Bolton and we've got a loan budget which we haven't spent. Add all of those together and we get to where we're able to bring in players like Darren, which is fantastic."

Bowden says the purchase of Currie does not mean that a departure during the January transfer window is on the cards: "We have no wish to sell anybody in January. We're not intending to and will not sell anybody in January."

Manager Royle would not be drawn on whether the deal marked the full extent of Town's mid-season inward transfer activity.

Currie says he has already been on the end of a trademark tongue-lashing from skipper Jim Magilton after requesting the number seven shirt: "He thought I was trying to take his number! With numbers, I have a few preferences and they were taken but it's not that important."

In the end the new signing, whose girlfriend is the daughter of former Arsenal defender Steve Walford, had to make do with the number 10, coincidentally worn by his uncle Tony Currie in his days with Sheffield United, Leeds and tomorrow's opponents QPR.

Photo: Action Images

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