Manager Mick McCarthy has made significant upgrades to his Ipswich Town squad this summer as his side go in search of promotion, but who are the new faces you will see running out for the Blues?
The new season is just four days away and some fans are often wondering who their news players are heading into their first game. Here, ALEX MITCHELL runs through the new faces.
RYAN FRASER Age: 21 Position: Left-Midfield
First up is Ryan Fraser. The 21 year-old joined Town on loan from Bournemouth as part of the Tyrone Mings deal back in June, and with no recall option the youngster will be at Portman Road for the whole campaign.
Last season Fraser made 27 appearances for the Cherries, and scored four goals. He is a fast, attacking left-sided midfielder who played a large part in Bournemouth’s Championship winning campaign last season.
At the age of 16 Fraser signed for his hometown club, Aberdeen, and after winning the Young Player of the Month competition on more than one occasion, attracted interest in England.
After making just 13 appearances for Aberedeen Fraser was snapped up by Bournemouth for a fee of £400,000 in January 2013.
The Scot has made 63 appearances for the Cherries, and boss Eddie Howe said when he made the temporary switch to Ipswich that he is still in Bournemouth’s future plans: “The decision has been made with his career in mind. Hopefully, when he comes back to us, he will be a lot better for the experience. I think he is an outstanding player now but probably need matches to take his game to the next level.”
BRETT PITMAN Age: 27 Position: Striker
Another player who has made the switch from Bournemouth to Ipswich is Brett Pitman. The forward joined as a free transfer after he was told first team football was not available at his previous team.
Pitman is a technically gifted striker, who scored 14 goals in 39 games last campaign. The 27-year-old began his career at Bournemouth in 2006, and during his first stint at the club scored 59 times in 173 appearances, before making a £1m move to Bristol City.
At Ashton Gate he scored 20 goals in 77 games before going back to Bournemouth on a permanent deal in 2013. In his final two seasons at Dean Court he scored 46 goals in 95 games, playing for them in all three divisions below the Premier League.
During his first three pre-season games the striker netted four times, and Town fans will be hoping he can carry that form into the Championship campaign.
AINSLEY MAITLAND-NILES Age: 17 Position: Winger
Another loan signing Ipswich secured during the summer was the signing of Arsenal youngster Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
The 17-year-old became the second youngest player to play for Arsenal when he came on against Galatasaray in the Champions League last season. He also has one Premier League appearance, and Arsene Wenger has loaned out the promising winger in the hope of gaining more first team experience.
Maitland-Niles has also played for England’s youth sides, making three U17s and four U18s appearances.
The young-Gunner has impressed during pre-season, scoring at both Fortuna Dusseldorf and Cambridge Utd, as well as providing assists, and he has said he is looking forward to the challenge at Ipswich.
He said: “The Championship is a tough league but one I feel ready to perform in. The lads have really made me feel welcome here, they are wonderful.”
JONAS KNUDSEN Age: 22 Position: Left-back
After the departure of Tyrone Mings to Bournemouth, there was a space that needed filling at left-back, and Ipswich decided to fill that gap by securing Jonas Knudsen for an undisclosed fee from Esbjerg FB in Denmark.
The 22-year-old made 143 appearances for Esbjerg, scoring four goals, before making the switch to England.
Knudsen was actually advised to join Town after speaking to former blue Thomas Gaardsoe, who played with Knudsen back in Denmark.
Terry Connor watched the Dane play on two occasions, and recommended Mick McCarthy triggered his buy-out-clause, which the manager then did. This was a quickly calculated move which stopped the likes of PSV Eindhoven and Marseille stealing the deal after the interest they had shown.
Knudsen has made two international appearances for Denmark, after impressing in his 14 caps for the U21s, and the new recruit’s throw has been likened to that of Rory Delap’s, which may see him become a fan favourite very quickly.
GILES COKE Age: 29 Position: Centre-midfield
Giles Coke’s arrival came as a surprise as he was announced in the starting XI for Town’s pre-season fixture at Peterborough as a trialist, but McCarthy has liked what he’s seen from the ex-Sheffield Wednesday man enough to offer him a contract.
Coke started his career at Mansfield Town in 2005, making 70 appearances, before moving to Northampton Town. There he scored seven goals in 52 games, before signing for Motherwell in 2009.
After playing in Scotland for only one season, Coke moved back to England and signed for Sheffield Wednesday. The midfielder made 84 appearances for the Owls, scoring six times, and he also made loan appearances at Bury, Swindon Town and Bolton Wanderers.
Coke’s style has been compared to current Blue Cole Skuse, and manager McCarthy has said he has good potential at Ipswich: “I knew Cokey already and he has fitted in well. He is another good person, a good bloke and the lads really like him.”
LARSEN TOURE Age: 31 Position: Right-midfield
If Coke’s arrival was a surprise, Larsen Toure’s was even more. The Guinea international was named in the squad for Ipswich’s friendly at Colchester and after a rather uneventful half-an-hour he was substituted due to a lack of fitness.
But McCarthy has seen enough of the French born midfielder to offer him a contract at Portman Road. Toure began his career at Lille and made 28 appearances before transferring to his hometown, Brest, four years later after loan spells at Gueugnon and Grenoble.
At Brest, Toure scored seven times in 52 games, earning himself a move to Bulgarian side Levski Sofia, where he played with Kevin Bru and the 31 year-old has also made six international appearances for Guinea.
Not much is known of the Guinean’s playing style, but McCarthy has been impressed by what he has seen in training: “Larsen is one of my players, he works hard, has real ability and has fitted in really well.”
JONATHAN DOUGLAS Age: 33 Position: Centre-midfield
Jonathan Douglas was part of Brentford’s hugely successful Championship campaign last season, scoring eight times, and captaining the Bees to fifth position.
But a new manager has seen many of last season’s players depart Griffin Park, and McCarthy was quick to snap up the ex-Republic of Ireland International when it was known he was available.
Douglas had a stop-start beginning to his career, making 49 appearances split between Blackburn, Chesterfield, Blackpool and Gillingham, before settling at Leeds United.
The Irishman made 148 appearances for the Elland Road side, scoring 10 goals, before making a move to Swindon Town. 85 appearances for the Robins earned him a transfer to Brentford where he became a fans favourite.
The 33-year-old wore the captain’s armband last season, and in total made 156 appearances, steering them from League One to the brink of the Premier League.
The central midfielder made eight international appearances for the Republic of Ireland between 2004 and 2007, and Douglas offers more depth to this new Ipswich squad, with many midfielders fighting for their place at Brentford on Saturday.
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