Sean St Ledger (left)

TOWN top target Sean St Ledger has said he fully expected to join Ipswich in the January transfer window.

The Leicester City centre-back was identified by Paul Jewell as a solution to the club’s dire defensive problems and his loan move to Portman Road was only extinguished just 12 hours before their match against Birmingham City earlier this month.

But St Ledger has finally ended any speculation linking him with known admirers Ipswich – admitting he is only focused on keeping his place with the play-off chasing Foxes.

The Republic of Ireland international, who has now been taken off the transfer list by Nigel Pearson, told the Leicester Mercury: “There was a point when I thought I was going out on loan to Ipswich and then the next moment I am playing in the FA Cup versus Forest.

“It has been an up-and-down time and I probably haven’t known what was going on, but I am fully enjoying being back in the side, winning games and keeping clean sheets.

“I feel I am doing okay but before I felt I was doing okay. Obviously, I got dropped and that is one of those things.

“It is obvious I need to be playing. You look at everyone else who might be in the Ireland squad (for Euro 2012) and they are playing week-in and week-out. To play in a championship like that is a massive thing for anyone in their career.”

Ironically, one of St Ledger’s main rivals for the Ireland shirt is Town defender Damien Delaney who might also look to move on to enhance his own chances of playing in this summer’s European Championships.

Delaney, who is unlikely to leave until a replacement is found, has been linked with a move to Crystal Palace and also as a sweetener to Portsmouth – along with club captain Grant Leadbitter – as Town look to tie up the protracted moves for Pompey trio Jason Pearce, Joel Ward and Stephen Henderson.