Daryl Murphy has signed a new two-year deal with Ipswich Town to end continued transfer speculation.

Having finished last season as the Championship’s 27-goal leading scorer, the 32-year-old was a wanted man this summer.

Second-tier side Middlesbrough had a £4.5m offer rejected, while Norwich, Cardiff, Stoke, Leicester and West Brom were all linked with the rejuvenated Republic of Ireland international.

Murphy was already effectively contracted at Portman Road until the summer of 2017 anyway, his previous deal due to run out in a year’s time but the club holding the option of extending that by a further year.

However, Town have decided to offer him improved terms in the face of plenty of interest in his signature.

“I’m delighted to have signed a new contract,” said Murphy, speaking to the official club website.

“All summer I have heard the rumours and seen the stories in the papers and I’ve had my family and friends ringing me and asking me what’s going on.

“I kept telling them I wasn’t going anywhere and not to believe everything they read in the papers.

“I was just trying to enjoy my holiday. I knew that I’d be here at Ipswich when I came back for pre-season and I’m just pleased now that it’s all out of the way.

“I have always said I’m happy and settled here and that has never changed. I have never thought about moving and now, having signed a new contract, I can put all that speculation talk to bed and look forward to the new season.”

Just prior to the club’s play-off matches against Norwich in May, Murphy told this newspaper how settled he and his family were in Suffolk, how much he was enjoying working with manager Mick McCarthy and assistant Terry Connor and how he was thriving on the responsibility of having the No.9 on his back.

He will now compete for places up front alongside new signing Brett Pitman (a proven goalscorer at Bournemouth), fit-again 2013/14 talisman David McGoldrick and Freddie Sears, the latter having proved a big success since his mid-seaosn switch from Colchester.