Former academy coach Ian Smith has pleaded guilty to 14 charges of theft from ex-players. Smith, who left the Blues in April 2004, stole £6,900 from former Town trainees including Matt Bloomfield, now with Wycombe Wanderers.

The 48-year-old from Great Yeldham was handed a total of £5,900 by Bloomfield and £1,000 by another ex-player, Adem Atay, to invest for them between May and July 2005 but used the money himself. The ex-coach will be sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court later in the week.

Bloomfield, whose younger brother Joe is currently a schoolboy with the academy, said Smith had an important role in his early career and became a friend: “From my point of view it was a breach of trust from someone I trusted impeccably. It's something I didn't believe was possible.”

Smith's departure from Playford Road came soon after an unspecified incident at the U18 Claudio Sassi Memorial Tournament in Italy in 2003/04.

A Town spokesman said the Blues had had no contact with the former Spurs apprentice since he left the club.

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