KEVIN Lisbie's future at Ipswich Town is in serious doubt after being told he has to move near to the ground.

Derek Davis

EXCLUSIVE

By Derek Davis

KEVIN Lisbie's future at Ipswich Town is in serious doubt after being told he has to move near to the ground.

Blues boss Roy Keane has told all the players they must now live within easy travelling distance to the training ground at Rushmere and Portman Road.

The directive will also impact on defender Ben Thatcher who currently commutes from Surrey and has one more year on his current contract.

Moritz Volz was another player who retained his house near London while on his season long loan from Fulham, but it is unlikely he will be handed a deal by Town anyway.

Lisbie's future at Ipswich though is now uncertain after he refused to move his family from London, where he also lived when playing for Colchester United and when on loan at Norwich from Charlton, and will not live away from them but is hopeful a compromise can be found.

Lisbie said: “The gaffer has an issue with players driving up and down the A12 from London or wherever and I can understand that.

“But I have a big family and I will not be moving them up here. We are a very close family too so I don't want to be living away from them.

“This is something we have to resolve and I'm sure it will be as I would like to be with Ipswich next season but I can't be sure I will be.”

The �600,000 buy from Colchester United hit seven goals in his 45 games for Town this season but most of them came away from home and he has been received with mixed reaction from Blues fans.

Keane, who is moving from his recently renovated house near Manchester to Suffolk, is keen to ensure players live near to the ground after learning lessons from his time as Sunderland manager.

Players at The Stadium of Light often used traffic problems as excuses when they were late for training, or even once for the coach to a game, and Keane has warned the Town squad he will not tolerate tardiness - no matter what the excuse.

There is also a concern that travelling a fair way to training heightens the risk of injury, especially pulls and strains.

Keane has been involved in meetings with all his players this week, and will continue into today as well, and an official announcement on players' futures is expected within the next 24 hours.

Ivan Campo has been told the clause in his contract will not be activated and so he will officially leave next month and is expected to return to Spain, possibly Mallorca.

Tommy Miller is also on his way out after agreeing a deal with a Championship club, with his old Hartlepool boss Brian Laws favourite to snap him up at Sheffield Wednesday.

derek.davis@eadt.co.uk