Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy is ready to send Anthony Wordsworth out on loan after snapping up Stephen Hunt on a pay as you play deal.

Hunt arrived in Suffolk from his native Ireland last Thursday, signed a short-term deal until January on Friday morning and then immediately travelled up to Blackpool to take his place on the bench at Bloomfield Road on Saturday.

And the 32-year-old winger ended up playing a big part in the Blues’ first away win of the season, coming on and providing a key contribution as a makeshift left-back in the closing stages of a dramatic 3-2 victory.

Six weeks ago, McCarthy insisted he would not be signing Hunt and that his former Wolves favourite, released by the Midlands club in the summer and training with Town at the time, was heading elsewhere.

So what changed?

“It wasn’t really a budget issue before,” explained McCarthy. “I had Tunners (Ryan Tunnicliffe) and Tabby (Jay Tabb) on the left, Ando (Paul Anderson) and Carlos (Edwards) on the right, I had four strikers, four central midfielders.

“Basically the squad was balanced and I just didn’t need him.

“The issue now is that I might let Woody (Wordsworth) go out on loan if I can. He needs games. If I do that then he (Hunt) can play on the left and Tabby can play on the inside.”

The Blues boss, who paid £3m to Hull City to bring Hunt to Wolves in 2010, continued: “I’ve joked with him that he’s like a bad penny. He just keeps coming back to me!

“He came here to train and I said we didn’t need him. He told me he was going to sign for Blackpool at one point, then he went to Millwall, but he’s here now and I’m delighted.

“If he plays, he gets paid. It’s as simple as that. That’s a great attitude to have and shows you what a great character he is.

“He’s signed until January. Maybe he’ll stay with us, maybe he’ll get something elsewhere.”

Wordsworth, signed from Colchester United in January, has made just two late substitute appearances this season and often has not even made the bench.

However, U’s boss Joe Dunne confirmed this morning that he would not be making a loan swoop for his former star.

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