Ex-Ipswich Town youngster Ed Upson is back in the Championship – and he has warned that Yeovil could be a surprise package next season.

East Anglian Daily Times: Ex Ipswich Town midfielder Ed Upson (far right) celebrates Yeovil's 2-1 win over Brentford in the League One play-off finalEx Ipswich Town midfielder Ed Upson (far right) celebrates Yeovil's 2-1 win over Brentford in the League One play-off final (Image: Archant)

The Glovers spent their first century of existence playing in non-league football, but Sunday’s 2-1 play-off final win over Brentford at Wembley sealed three promotions in the space of 10 years.

Now the Somerset club – whose Huish Park home still has terracing behind both goals – will be rubbing shoulders with a host of history-rich clubs in English football’s second tier.

“I definitely think we’ll surprise a few people in the Championship,” said Upson, the 23-year-old midfielder who scored the Blues’ winner in the FA Youth Cup Final of 2005 aged just 15, but ended up being released without making a single first-team appearance for the Suffolk club.

“This season we were favourites to go down, as we always seem to be, but we’ve ended up getting promoted. That doesn’t happen too many times.

“People are going to label us the ‘small club’ in the division, we’re going to be massive underdogs, but that could be something that works in our favour.

“We’ve proved a lot of people wrong this season, have a great team spirit, an experienced manager in Gary Johnson, so I see no reason why we can’t be competitive.”

The Bury St Edmunds-born player – who scored the goal which clinched play-off semi-final victory over Sheffield United and helped make both goals in Sunday’s final – added: “I was just speaking to a friend and was saying that I honestly don’t think it’s really sunk in yet. I think it will really hit home when the fixture list comes out and it’s there in black and white who we are playing week-in, week-out.

“A lot of people have been asking me whether I’ll be looking for the Ipswich fixture straight away. I will be looking for it, and it will be nice to play at Portman Road again, but it won’t be top of my list.

“I don’t feel like I’ve got anything to prove, I’m just more excited to be playing at Championship clubs week-in, week-out.”

“A few of my Ipswich-supporting mates all came to Wembley painted green and white on Sunday so when the two teams play each other next season I might have to pull rank and tell them to be in the away end!”

He continued: “I always kept believing that I was good enough to play in the Championship when I was let go (by Ipswich) – even during those first two seasons at Yeovil when it was a relegation battle for us (14th and 17th place finishes).

“When I first came here, Terry Skiverton was manager and he, along with coach Darren Way (released by Norwich as a promising young player), were brilliant with me. They told me I was a good player, kept talking positively and gave me so much belief.”