They may have experienced contrasting fortunes this season, but Blues goalkeeper Scott Loach doesn’t regret leaving Watford.

While the Hornets are sat third in the Championship, just three points off the second automatic promotion spot, Town have just about sealed Championship safety.

Loach had a year remaining on his contract at Vicarage Road, but was eager to move to Suffolk, and his boyhood team, once he discovered the Blues’ interest.

It is fair to say that things haven’t gone exactly to plan since the 24-year-old became Paul Jewell’s third signing of the summer but, after a difficult start to his Portman Road career – conceding 22 goals in 12 games before being dropped by Jewell – things are looking up for the stopper.

That isn’t to say Loach, who has kept clean sheets in his last four games, is guaranteed to be Mick McCarthy’s number one next season, but that doesn’t faze the stopper, who has realised his childhood ambition of playing for the Blues.

“Watford gave me the chance to play in the Championship and I played 165 games there, so I will always be a fan,” said Loach.

“But I hit a brick wall and sometimes you can’t always stay at a club for too long. I don’t regret leaving.

“I hope Watford go up. They have had a bit of financial trouble in the past but I still know some of the lads there, even though it is a new regime, and they deserve a bit of fortune.”

Many perceived Loach as the scapegoat following Town’s poor start to the season but while his record was not the best, the majority of the team were under-performing under Jewell.

In contrast, the Blues’ rapid improvement under McCarthy has been attributed to a sterling team effort, although Loach was disappointed it took a change of manager to produce an upturn in fortunes.

“The gaffer (Mick McCarthy) and Terry Connor (assistant manager) are great to work with, it’s just a shame it took a manager to step down to kick-start our season,” he said.

“We should have been doing better under Jewell.

“I didn’t play under him for long and maybe it was down to something that had happened in the past.”

He added: “Jewell dropped me, but I feel I was doing alright before that.

“I’ll admit to the mistake in the Cardiff game, but one mistake in 10 games is not a bad ratio.”

On 53 points, the Blues probably require one more win to stay up.

Ahead of a Portman Road double-header, against Hull and Crystal Palace, Loach warned: “We have a foot through the door.

“We need to get survival wrapped up and don’t want to be going to Sheffield Wednesday (April 20) needing to get a result.”