PAUL Jewell hopes the influence of a double Olympic gold medallist who has climbed Mount Everest will help Ipswich Town’s Championship assault next season.

In recent seasons, the Blues have put fans through the mill as potential victories have been thrown away by a succession of late lapses.

But Jewell believes the introduction of Steve Williams as a fitness consultant could make such grim scenarios a thing of the past.

The Town boss said: “When I met Steve in the summer and I found out what he had done, I thought it was quite incredible.

“You don’t win two gold medals and climb Everest without mental toughness.

“He has no football background and doesn’t pretend to have one. But he has a sporting background.

“The personal sacrifices he has had to make will be an example to any player here.”

Williams, who won Olympic gold in Athens in 2004 with Matthew Pinsent and then Beijing in 2008 before climbing Everest last year, joined the Blues as a part-time consultant last week working with fitness coach Andy Liddell.

While Town fans want to see signings on the pitch, and Luke Chambers should become the second new arrival today, the capture of Williams and the return of Bryan Klug as academy coach could turn out to be massive coups.

Of Klug, Jewell added: “First of all, I think we have to say well done to Sammy Morgan who did a fantastic job with a top-class academy,

“I don’t know Bryan but everyone around the club speaks so highly of him. I spoke to him, he was interested in the job. He was the stand-out candidate.”