Stead makes Town move permanent

JON Stead has signed a three-year deal with Ipswich Town.

Derek Davis

JON Stead has signed a three-year deal with Ipswich Town.

The 25-year-old striker, who made a scoring debut on Saturday turned the initial loan move into something more permanent after deciding his future was at Portman Road.

Stead said on Saturday that he had until January to make a decision about staying but apparently just needed a few more hours.

He said: “It's been a fantastic weekend, what with scoring, getting the three points and finalising my move here.

“It was an easy decision to make, joining the Club but because it happened so near the transfer deadline day it made sense to make it a loan move initially.

“I didn't want to rush into anything without first looking around the facilities and spending some time on the training field but my mind was made up straightaway that I wanted to come here.

“Things have progressed quickly from when I first arrived and we sorted out personal terms last week. It's just been a case of waiting for the paperwork to be completed at both ends.

“It's my ambition to get back to the Premier League and one look around the dressing-room here tells me I'm at the right club to try and achieve that.”

Town agreed a fee, understood that could eventually be worth around £1.2m, with Sheffield on transfer deadline day but with the move rushed through with the player still at Bramall Lane, it was decided that the deal would initially be a three month loan.

Ipswich Town chief executive Derek Bowden said: “It was always our intention to sign Jon on a permanent deal after we had agreed a fee with Sheffield.

“But to avoid trying to rush things through at the last minute, with Jon having to race down here from Sheffield on deadline day, we agreed the loan. That gave us the proper time to discuss personal terms which have now been agreed.”