Ipswich Town have signed former Manchester City and Manchester United defender Frederic Veseli on a two-year deal.

The 20-year-old – who has represented his native Switzerland at various age levels – has impressed on trial following his release from Old Trafford, training with the Blues for a week in Ireland before catching the eye in the first half of Tuesday night’s 2-1 pre-season win at Gillingham.

Having caught the eye as a youngster at Swiss clubs FC Renens and FC Lausanne Sport, Veseli was snapped up by Manchester City in 2008 before controversially making the switch to neighbours United in January 2012. At the time he felt he would have a better chance of progressing into the first team at United in comparison to their big-spending rivals.

Despite earning rave reviews for United’s Under-21 side last season, Veseli was among a number of players released by new manager David Moyes in June. He was linked to Blackburn Rovers, with his agent Adam Bouskouchi telling the EADT on Wednesday that his client turned down a number of offers before Mick McCarthy came calling.

“There were a few options for me so I asked around about the clubs that were interested,” Veseli told the club website.

“I spoke to the people I know at Manchester United, people I trust – like the reserve team manager Warren Joyce, who was great for me and he told me all about Ipswich.

“He said it was a really good club, a family club. He said it was a club where I could progress as a player. He told me to come here straightaway and he wasn’t the only one. I had great feedback about Ipswich from a lot of people.

“I spent a week in Ireland with the team and had a good feeling about the manager, the other staff and the players. Even though I did not know anyone, I felt very at home straightaway.

“Sometimes you have to go with your emotion. Your heart tells you where to go and I’ve done that. It’s an exciting new challenge for me and I can’t wait.”

Veseli is a versatile player who can operate at right-back, centre-back and central midfield. Extremely comfortable on the ball, many have tipped him to play regularly in midfield in the future, but it looks as though McCarthy may utilise him at right-back – in competition with Elliott Hewitt – after he started there at Gillingham.

Unsurprisingly, the arrival of Veseli coincides with Wolves boss Kenny Jackett saying that Richard Stearman – who impressed on loan at Town at the back end of last season – wants to stay at Molineux.

Mccarthy had been keen to sign Stearman on a permanent basis following Wolves’ relegation to League One, but the Midlands’ club’s asking price of £1m soon saw their interest cool and look at other options.

“He hasn’t intimated to me that he wants to leave,” said Jackett, who has transfer-lised Stephen Ward, Jamie O’Hara, Karl Henry and Roger Johnson. “He’s committed to Wolves, definitely.”