Brett Pitman has twice gone close to becoming a Premier League player and the prolific striker is hoping Ipswich Town can turn his dreams into reality.

The 27-year-old scored 13 league goals last season on the way to Bournemouth lifting the Championship title, but elected to turn his back on the top-flight, signing a three-year deal at Portman Road last week

Pitman also came close to playing at England’s elite level in 2010 when he was the subject of a bid from then-Premier League newcomers Blackpool, but decided against the switch and eventually moved on to the Championship with Bristol City.

After a short spell at Ashton Gate, Pitman returned to the south coast and helped Bournemouth move from League One to the second tier, during a fruitful second spell at the Goldsands Stadium.

The striker said: “Naturally you look back and think I could still be there (Bournemouth), but realistically I didn’t know how much I was going to play.

“I wasn’t forced out, it was my choice and I would not have come to Ipswich if I was going to be frustrated at not being at Bournemouth anymore.

“It would have been nice (to play in the Premier League) and that’s what I have come to Ipswich for. Hopefully we can get there.

“I thought that it (Ipswich) was a really good challenge. It excited me and I chose to come here.

“I had spoken to Mick McCarthy before I signed, which I felt was important and so did he.

“He seems top class from what Skusey (Cole Skuse) and the other lads have said and it’s so far, so good.”

As for his aborted switch to Blackpool, the Jersey-born frontman has no regrets.

“I had a medical at Blackpool and I decided it wasn’t for me to be honest,” he added.

“There were one or two reasons why and in the end it was a good decision.”

Meanwhile, Pitman is looking forward to the season ahead, which starts on August 8 at Brentford and believes the league could be as tight as ever.

“Last year was ridiculous at the top with four teams right up there and a couple just behind, hopefully we will be in the mix,” said Pitman.

“It’s definitely nerve-racking and is hard at times but we (Bournemouth) knew we had a good chance as we had a decent team and a decent manager and never really changed what we were doing.”