JIMMY Bullard has signed for Ipswich Town on loan until the end of the season.

The 32-year-old midfielder moves from Hull to meet up again with Paul Jewell, the Town manager who was boss at Wigan Athletic when Bullard played an instrumental role in the Lancashire-based club reaching the Premier League in 2005.

The popular midfielder is training with Town today after the move was completed.

Jewell said: “I know Jimmy well from our days at Wigan and he will give us something different in the middle of the park.

“He has played in the Premier League, has a lot of experience. He is a good technician, a good passer of the ball. He’s also a great character and will improve our squad.”

Bullard is contracted to Hull until the summer of 2013 and is reported to be on wages of around �45,000 a week for a club that was relegated from the top flight last season.

Called into the England squad in 2008 after impressing with Fulham in-between his time with Wigan and Hull, Bullard is currently fully fit after experiencing lengthy absences because of serious knee problems.

He was taken off early in a recent FA Cup game against Wigan, and was pictured on Saturday eating a sandwich while a substitute ‘warming-up’ during half-time of Hull’s league match at Reading.

He has become disgruntled at the KC Stadium, and will look at Jewell as a manager who can kick-start his career.

Hull will be paying a considerable part of Bullard’s wages while he is at Portman Road, with his arrival sparking inevitable speculation that Town skipper David Norris or fellow midfielder Grant Leadbitter might be on the move.

While there are reports of interest being shown in Leadbitter by Premier League clubs, Norris has without doubt been the subject of a substantial contract deal by Portsmouth.

Pompey manager Steve Cotterill has confirmed his interest in the 29-year-old, and Town chief executive Simon Clegg has indicated that he may not be able to match Portsmouth’s figures for a player that cost �2 million when signed from Plymouth on January 31 2008.

“There may be some big wages here that we are talking about and we are in a position where we have to try and cope on reduced gates from previous seasons,” said Clegg.

“Our manager Paul Jewell will be deciding who he sees as the players to take the club forward and we are well aware that the clock is ticking with David Norris’ contract ending in the summer.

“We will talk responsibly and with all parties involved and get the situation sorted out sensibly.

“When the time is right a statement will be made.

“Income we have accrued from three big cup games this month has still to be allocated and this source has to be prioritised.”

Cotterill expects talks to continue later this week before the January transfer deadline ends on Monday and added: “I have spoken to David Norris’ agents within the last two weeks and the player is happy to come to Portsmouth. If not in January then I am pretty sure it will be in the summer.”

Jewell will be considering his best options over the 22 Ipswich players out of contract in June with Norris and McAuley his priority.