Tractor-Boys.com

Ipswich Town new boy Grant Ward plans to get fans off their seats at Portman Road this season.

The 21-year-old arrived from Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of around £600k on Monday and could go straight into the team for Saturday’s Championship home opener against Barnsley.

A versatile attacking midfielder, Ward spent the entirety of last season on loan in the second-tier at Rotherham and played a key role in their great escape under manager Neil Warnock, making 43 appearances and scooping both the ‘Young Player of the Season’ and ‘Goal of the Season’ awards.

And with spectators starved of entertainment on Suffolk soil during the second half of last season, the new arrival’s description of his game will be music to Blues fans’ ears.

When it was put to him that Town supporters craved an exciting player to watch, he replied: “Hopefully I’ll be able to do that because that is my game.

“You could say I’m an exciting player. I like to get people off their seats.

“I can play in a variety of positions – if you want me in the centre or the wing. As long as I’m playing and getting the ball I’m not fussed.

“I’m very quick and athletic, box-to-box, I like to take people on.”

On his super strike against Burnley, he added: “Every now and then I pull one of those worldies out, but I don’t care how I score – if I got 10 tap-ins I’d be happy with that.”

London-born Ward joined Spurs at the age of 10 but didn’t make the first-team breakthrough and, even though he signed a new two-year deal at White Hart Lane earlier this year, he felt it was time to move on following previous loan spells at MLS side Chicago Fire (2014) and League One outfit Coventry City (2015).

A number of Championship clubs had chased his signature, but Mick McCarthy’s long-standing interest was what persuaded him to head to Portman Road.

“I heard about the Ipswich interest a little while ago, but I had a little injury (calf strain) and was just trying to get fit,” Ward added.

“I went away with the Tottenham reserves to France and when I was out there I heard the deal was done and I had to shoot off.

“It was flattering that a manager of Mick McCarthy’s experience had been so eager to bring me in.

“I’d been at Tottenham a long time, but I wasn’t getting to where I wanted to be so I thought it was best to move on and create a career for myself.

“Ipswich seemed like the perfect opportunity to do that. Obviously this is a club with a great history, the manager is very experienced and there are some great players here. I think this is a great opportunity for me.

“I’ve signed a three-year contract and the hope is that we can make the Premier League in that time. I’ve only been here two days, but looking at how good my team-mates are I definitely think we should be aiming for play-offs, minimum, this season.”

Joe Royle says Blues fans are going to love new signing Conor Grant after the young left-sided midfielder arrived on a season-long loan from Everton yesterday.

Ex-Town boss Royle is now the head of youth development at Goodison Park and played an integral role in Grant’s switch to Portman Road.

The 21-year-old played a starring role at League One side Doncaster last season and, after impressing for the Toffees’ first team during a summer tour of Germany, new boss Ronald Koeman has decided he should get some Championship experience.

“I’m sure Ipswich fans are going to love him,” enthused Royle.

“He’s a proper footballer, has got a wonderful left foot and if you look at some of the goals he scored for Doncaster last season you’ll see what a talent he is.

“He’s a set-piece specialist and can supply great crosses from open play for strikers to attack.

“He’s more of a left-midfielder than a flying winger. I’m not making a direct comparison by any imagination, but Ipswich fans should think of Arnold Muhren as supposed to Clive Woods.”

Grant is the nephew of former Everton midfielder Tony Grant and has been with his hometown club since the age of 13.

Royle added: “He’s highly-rated here and the hope is that he can come back next summer ready to establish himself.”

Blues striker Daryl Murphy is certainly salivating at the prospect of two wide players supplying him with some ammunition this season.

With speedy right-winger Grant Ward having also been signed from Tottenham earlier this week for £600k, Town’s Irish front man said: “Grant has looked sharp and he gives us something different – a bit of pace, running at players and getting crosses in the box. He’s been doing that in training from the minute he arrived. I want to be getting on the end of those in games and scoring goals.

“I think we’ve probably missed that in previous seasons – somebody who just gets at defenders and loves to cross the ball in.”

Murphy finished as the Championship’s 27-goal topscorer in 2015/16, playing more than 50 times for club and country. He netted just 10 times last season though as a series of injury niggles prevented him making more than three starts in a row after Christmas.

After impressing for the Republic of Ireland in their Euro 2016 games against Italy and France, however, he says he’s feeling fit and full of confidence.

“Last season was very frustrating,” said the 33-year-old. “I’d come back from a calf injury and my groin would be sore. They were just little things that came from nowhere when I was least expecting it.

“I sat out the last eight games. Maybe I could have been risked, but I think that extra rest is what I needed to make sure I was fresh – not only for Ireland, but for Ipswich this season. I’m feeling good.”

wilnisfan wrote:Its great that we can get continuity with these players without having to worry about whether they can extend their loan past Christmas/playoffs etc.

wilnisfan wrote:Its great that we can get continuity with these players without having to worry about whether they can extend their loan past Christmas/playoffs etc.