Ahead of Ipswich Town’s trip to Cardiff this weekend, we take a look at 10 players who have ties to both clubs.
Neil Alexander
The goalkeeper only spent a little over six months with the Blues, following a free transfer from Ninian Park, but certainly made a big impact as he instantly became number one and performed well between the sticks. In all he made 33 appearances for the Blues and was something of a penalty specialist, keeping out Mark Yeates of Colchester, Wolves striker Freddy Eastwood and Plymouth’s Steve MacLean.
However, when Scottish giants Rangers came in for him in January 2008, manager Jim Magilton insisted the Blues could not stand in his way and he was allowed to move to Ibrox.
He has subsequently played one game for Crystal Palace and is now at Hearts.
Michael Chopra
Four spells at Cardiff saw Chopra plunder 56 league goals, as the Bluebirds regularly challenged for a place in the Premier League without ever making the big time.
He was sold to Sunderland for £5million before returning the following year for £4million, prior to his move to the Blues in 2011, where he scored 19 times in 82 games. However, his time at Portman Road was blighted by off-field problems which included a gambling addiction, and he left for Blackpool in 2013.
He’s now playing for Alloa in the Scottish Championship, where he has scored twice in 23 league games.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas
Immediately prior to his £1.1million move to Portman Road in 2011, JET was on loan at Cardiff where he scored twice in 14 games for the Bluebirds.
Since leaving Ipswich in 2013, he’s played for Bristol City, QPR and current loan club MK Dons.
Mark Kennedy
The man currently in charge of the Ipswich Town development side finished his playing career with the Blues in 2012, but before coming to Portman Road he spent two years at Cardiff between 2008 and 2012.
It was with the Bluebirds he made his 400th club appearances, with most of his time in south Wales spent at left-back due to Joe Ledley holding down a spot on the left of midfield.
Alan Mahon
During the financial struggles of the 2003/04 season, Mahon was one of very few players manager Joe Royle was able to bring in and he made a major impact on the side as they moved away from the lower reaches of the table.
Sadly a deal couldn’t be done to keep him at Portman Road beyond his three-month loan spell and he returned to Blackburn, before then moving on to Burnley, Wigan, Blackpool and Tranmere.
His time at Cardiff came in 2002, where he made 15 third-tier appearances.
Stephen Bywater
Another goalkeeper, who can count both Ipswich and Cardiff among his 14 loan clubs.
After not playing a game during his loan with Cardiff in 2002, Bywater came to Ipswich as Alexander’s replacement and came straight into the side for the clash with Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.
In total he played 17 times before returning to Derby, who sent him out to Cardiff three years later for eight games.
He was also notably sent off for clashing with Alex Bruce, while visiting Portman Road with Derby in April 2007.
Russell Osman
The glory days of Osman’s career came at Portman Road where he was part of the squads which won the FA Cup in 1978 and then the UEFA Cup in 1981 under Sir Bobby Robson.
After leaving Portman Road he turned out for Leicester, Southampton, Bristol City, Plymouth and Brighton, before finishing his career at Cardiff in 1996.
Alan Lee
When Alan Lee arrived at Portman Road from Cardiff for £100,000 in 2006, his signing didn’t capture the imagination of the club’s fans, but his performances soon won them over.
Having scored 12 times in two-and-a-half years at Ninian Park, Lee found the net 32 times in the same time span while with Ipswich, as he led the line superbly.
He was subsequently sold to Palace for £600,000 in 2008 and spent time with Norwich and Hudderfield, before becoming an Ipswich player once again for one night only, as he came on in the 89th minute of an FA Cup loss at Preston in January 2014.
He now works with the young players at the club’s academy.
Josh Yorwerth
The only current member of the Ipswich squad with any Cardiff connections, Yorwerth came through the youth system in south Wales but never made a senior appearance.
He’s played three times for the Blues since signing in the summer and is currently on loan at Crawley, where he has played 20 times.
Arran Lee-Barrett
The third goalkeeper to make this list, Lee-Barrett made his professional debut for Cardiff in a Division One clash with Burnley in 2004, after leaving Norwich City’s youth system.
Spells with Weymouth, Coventry and Hartlepool followed before the former St Alban’s pupil signed for hometown club Ipswich, where he was expected simply to provide cover.
However, he ended up playing 42 games before moving on to Millwall and then Bolton.
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