Mick McCarthy has today revealed that he was never close to signing Rotherham United duo Paul Green and Frazer Richardson in the summer.

East Anglian Daily Times: Paul Green gets in ahead of Danny Ings at Turf MoorPaul Green gets in ahead of Danny Ings at Turf Moor (Image: PAGEPIX LTD 07976 935738)

The duo made 21 appearances between them at the back end of the season – Green scoring two goals – and penned permanent deals with Steve Evans’ Millers in pre-season.

Evans said earlier in the week that had geography allowed it, the Pontefract-born Green and Rotherham-born Richardson may have signed for Town as the Millers were not on the Blues’ level financially.

But McCarthy said: “I would sign them both on loan, but I was not going to sign them (permanently).”

“They had a really good offer (from Rotherham), the location does suit and I was not going to get involved with that or even try (to sign them).

“They are really good signings but as it happens we have got Elliott Hewitt (at right-back) and, as for Greeny, we have Teddy Bishop, Cole Skuse and Luke Hyam in midfield, so we have got bodies.

“It never really got that far with them both and they had a really good offer from Steve Evans.”

Current Ipswich players, Anthony Wordsworth and Paul Taylor, on-loan at Rotherham, are ineligible for the game.