BRYAN Klug says he delighted to have been given the chance to return to Ipswich Town.

The 51-year-old was controversially sacked two-and-half years ago during the managerial reign of Roy Keane.

However, Blues boss Paul Jewell and Simon Clegg have worked hard to personally persuade him to return to the club to take up the role of academy director.

Klug – who has remained living in Ipswich throughout his recent time as player development coach at Tottenham – said: “Everyone knows that Ipswich Town has been a big part of my life.

“I have played for the club, coached at the academy and first-team level and even had a few days as manager!

“It’s been my football club for 30 years of my career and I’m delighted to have been given the opportunity to return here and take on the challenge that running an academy in today’s game presents.”

With Sammy Morgan having left his role as academy manager, Klug will head up Town’s youth system as it heads into a new era.

The Blues have applied for Category Two status under the new Elite Player Performance Plan, with the club set to spend an extra �1 million pounds a year on youth coaching and facilities as a result.

Town chief executive Clegg said: “I’m delighted to welcome Bryan back to the club.

“His record of developing young players is respected throughout the game and when it became clear that we would be looking for a new head of our academy with Sammy Morgan retiring, Bryan was the obvious candidate.

“Developing our own players continues to be vital to this football club and this in part was my thinking behind this new appointment title.

“The changes that are taking place in the game at academy level present a big challenge for all clubs, but we feel confident that in Bryan we have a man with a wealth of knowledge to drive our youth development programme forward for many years to come.”

– Why Bryan Klug is the ‘best in the business’, see today’s EADT.