Former Town star KIERON DYER reveals his best Town XI he played with while at Portman Road.
Kieron Dyer played almost 100 times for Ipswich Town during a successful period that saw the club reach the Division One play-offs three times during his tenure – albeit without success.
Sold in the summer of 1999 to Newcastle United for £6m, Dyer’s money was spent wisely by the Club as they strengthened their squad to make the play-offs for a fourth time and this time taste success after they beat Barnsley 4-2 in a dramatic Wembley final in May 2000,
Here, in Kieron’s own words, is his Best XI he played with at Portman Road.
He’s playing a 3-5-2 formation.
Goalkeeeper: RICHARD WRIGHT
I don’t think Richard gets the love and recognition from Ipswich fans he deserves.
I know he left in slightly different circumstances and I think fans thought he left when things were going good and left them in the lurch kind of thing.
But you are talking about a keeper who represented his country while playing for Ipswich. A great shot stopper who had a fantastic left foot.
Left side centre back: MARK VENUS
A very underrated player, Veno’s left foot gave some of the best distribution you could wish for.
He was so good on the ball. For a midfielder like me, he was great, he kept giving me the ball, that’s probably why I’m showing him so much love!
Right side centre back: TITUS BRAMBLE
Titus was a very good player. I look at John Stones today and I see a lot of Titus in him. There was a time when it seemed every time Titus made a mistake it led to a goal. It is just what happened.
Then I look at John Stones and there was a time it was the same for him. Every time he slipped over, it’s a goal. Or one bad pass and it’s a goal.
But Titus, like Stones was quick, strong, powerful, had two great feet, great tackler.
And who can forget Titus’ goal against Sunderland when he ran almost the whole length of the pitch to score in front of the North Stand.
Centre of three at the back: TONY MOWBRAY
Mogga would be my captain. There have probably been four players in my career who I thought would go on to be managers, Gary Neville, Scott Parker, Matt Holland and Mogga.
A leader on the pitch, he came to Ipswich when not in his prime, he’d perhaps lost a yard of pace, but his positional play and reading of the game was still superb.
As a young player he took a shine to me and tried to lead me in the right direction, which didn’t always go the way it should have. But he’s a great man.
Right wing-back: MICK STOCKWELL
An absolute club legend. he’s up there in the top three players who have played most games for the Club.
Mr Versatile and again when I first broke into the team, I played a whole half season at right back, Mick was in front of me in midfield and was a great mentor.
Great energy, scored important goals and would run all day.
Left wing back: MAURICIO TARICCO
Probably the second best player I ever played with at Ipswich. He had it all. He was so good on the ball, great distribution, a real modern-day full-back who could get up and down and had fantastic delivery.
He was a fans’ favourite and also had that South American nastiness about him. Even in training he would nip you and you certainly weren’t going past him. And if you did he was dragging you back.
Again, like Veno, he was a player who would give you the ball. Alot of players left Ipswich to try and go to better things and it didn’t always work out, but Taricco went to Spurs where he was really successful.
Midfield: MATT HOLLAND
What can you say about Matt? Graeme Souness always used to say to me when he became Newcastle manager; “Will you look at your career and say you left nothing out there on the pitch. You gave it your all? Got every last ounce out of everything you did?”
I must admit I have to say I don’t think I could look myself in the mirror and say that.
But Matt got every single last bit out of himself to have the career he had. He wasn’t technically that great, he’d be the first to admit that. But you would give him 7/10 for everything – heading, shooting, passing, physical, scoring.
When you put it all together, he was a complete package. And had a great career with the Republic of Ireland, scored a goal in the World Cup finals. Fantastic.
Midfield: JIM MAGILTON
My favourite and best Town player I played with. George Burley as a manager just seemed to find players not many fans recognised, Jamie Clapham, David Johnson.
So when Jim came, although obviously many of us knew he was at Liverpool as a kid, but I never knew he was as good as he was.
Matt Holland was captain, but when you had Jim and Mogga on the pitch, you had so many leaders. What I liked about Jim is that he was so brave. He could give the ball away five times, but he’d still want it a sixth time. His passing range was fantastic. Not saying Jim was Paul Scholes, but he was similar in so much as he wasn’t quick, but so quick in his head, he’d get that half a yard on the pitch, no-one could get near him.
No. 10 role: JASON DOZZELL
I would like to try and get Bobby Petta in my side. But as I’m playing this formation, I can’t. On his day Bobby was unplayable. If I was playing 4-3-3 or 4-4-2, I’d get him in!
But because I need a No.10, it’s Jason Dozzell. A real quality player.
I played with Jason for only three months after he came back from Spurs. But you could tell he still had Premier League quality. The game that stands out for me was when we played Manchester United in the League Cup, won 2-0. Jason was man-of-the-match that day. Unbelievable player. A local lad and Hall of Fame Town player.
Striker: DAVID JOHNSON.
We were playing great football, dominating games, playing teams off the park. But we didn’t really have anyone to stick it in the net.
Then Johnson came from Bury. Wow, he scored goals for fun and was the missing ingredient at that time. His goals to game ratio was fantastic. Again, George Burley signed him. Who was doing George’s scouting! Brilliant.
Again another one who turned up, we didn’t know who he was. But he scored all types of goals, headers, running in behind, tap-ins.
Striker: JAMES SCOWCROFT
I don’t think Scowie, like Richard Wright, gets the respect he deserves. When I was playing one of my last seasons at Ipswich there was even a bit of booing towards Scowie.
I kind of put Scowie like Emile Heskey. If you ask Liverpool players at the time, Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, who was their favourite striker to play with, they would say Heskey. And Scowie’s the same at Ipswich.
You ask Alex Mathie or David Johnson who they enjoyed playing with at Ipswich, they would say James Scowcfoft.
He’s a target man, he links up play. As a midfielder, if I wanted to play a ball forward, Scowie was always a brilliant option.
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