Matt Holland admits he once thought about throwing his hat into the ring to become Ipswich Town manager.

The former Blues captain, who made more than 250 appearances for the club, playing 223 of them consecutively under manager George Burley, thought about managing Town after Paul Jewell left the club.

That was at the back end of 2012 and Holland – in the second part of an exclusive interview with former Town favourite Kieron Dyer – says he did make enquiries to take over the hot-seat at Portman Road.

“I did once speak to Ipswich after Paul Jewell left,” Holland said.

“I threw my name in and asked if it would be worth me putting in my CV.

“The reaction I got was along the lines of ‘we’re looking for someone more experienced’, because at that moment in time they needed an older head.”

In the end, it was Mick McCarthy who got the job after Jewell, but even then the rumours about Holland returning to Portman Road didn’t stop.

Indeed, he was then being touted as Mick’s assistant – after the Barnsley-born current Town boss got the job – a rumour Holland is at a loss to explain.

“Yes, it is strange because I’d seen Mick about three weeks before he got the Town job in the press room at Stamford Bridge,” Holland said.

“We were chatting away. He asked if I was doing any coaching. I said I’d done my UEFA B badge but I was enjoying my media work.

“That was the only conversation I’d ever had with him about coaching, so where the rumours came from, I don’t know.”

Holland was part of the Republic of Ireland World Cup squad in 2002 that did so well under McCarthy’s tenure, but that also saw the explosive walk-out of Roy Keane – something Holland goes into more detail about with Dyer.

- Buy today’s EADT or Ipswich Star to read the full exclusive interview!