‘He was a real bubbly character who couldn’t sit still’ - Doig insists no special treatment for friend Chambers

Ipswich Town assistant manager Chris Doig insists Blues captain Luke Chambers will not be given an easy ride when the old friends reunite ahead of a new era at Portman Road.

The duo played together at Northampton Town, where they won promotion to League One in 2005/06 before Chambers earned a move to Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2007.

Doig and Chambers have remained friends since their days together at Sixfields, but the new Blues assistant insists the current captain will not be given any special treatment due to their friendship off the pitch.

“I’ve played against a few of the boys during my career and I’m very well aware of the squad, but Chambo is the only one I know personally,” Doig said.

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“We played together at Northampton when he was a youngster and we were good friends then and remain friends now.

“It will be good to see him again but he will be treated no differently to anyone else. It will be a normal relationship like I have with any of the other players.

“I’ve said to him from the start that, whatever happens, I will still view him as a friend at the end of it but if he still views me as one then that’s a different story.

“He won’t be treated any different and he knows that.”

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The pair have been in contact following Doig’s appointment alongside new Ipswich boss Paul Hurst, with the new assistant looking forward to catching up with his friend when the players return for pre-season training.

“He was only a teenager then but was a real bubbly character, couldn’t sit still and was always on the go,” he said. “I would have been 24 so there wasn’t a massive age gap.

“He was a big part of the team even then and we had a good run and got promoted, which got him his move to Forest which was well deserved.

“What you see is what you get and we’ve remained friends ever since.

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“We have both been on holiday so there has been some brief conversation, but we’ll catch up when he’s back.

“I’ve watched a few games and his passing is still as bad… so he’s not changed much there!”

Chambers will return for pre-season training with the rest of the Ipswich squad next week, having ended last season on the sidelines due to shoulder, rib and sternum injuries suffered at Brentford in April.