LEGENDARY rocker Rod Stewart will perform at Portman Road next summer - 17 years after his last appearance at the stadium, the EADT can reveal.The singer, who last performed at the home of Ipswich Town in 1990, is due to return on July 3 next year.

LEGENDARY rocker Rod Stewart will perform at Portman Road next summer - 16 years after his last appearance at the stadium, the EADT can reveal.

The singer, who last performed at the home of Ipswich Town in 1991, is due to return on July 3 next year.

The date was announced yesterday as part of nationwide tour that will also see him visit the City of Manchester Stadium, Twickenham Stadium in London, Hampden Park in Glasgow, Cardiff's Millennium Stadium and the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.

He will become the latest in a string of top acts to perform at Portman Road in recent years, following the likes of Elton John, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Diamond and REM.

In a career that has spanned five decades, Stewart has achieved numerous hit singles around the world. His tally of 62 hit singles include 24 that made the top 10, with six reaching number one in the charts.

It is thought his album and single sales now total more than 200million, making him one of the world's best selling artists. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

He has consistently been a presence in the charts since his 1971 release Every Picture Tells a Story and the smash hit Maggie May - both of which held the number one spot in the US and the UK simultaneously, a chart first.

His new album, Still The Same…Great Rock Classics Of Our Time has reached number one in the US and top five in the UK.

Last year, Stewart performed four sold-out nights at London's Earl's Court as part of a nationwide UK tour, and also played before a packed Blenheim Palace alongside other arena dates in Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham and Sheffield.

Tickets for next summer's tour, including the Portman Road date, are available from 9am on Friday by calling 0870 400 0688 or visiting www.LiveNation.co.uk. Prices are £65, £60, £55 and £50.

mark.bulstrode@eadt.co.uk