ANDY Marshall has signed for Millwall on a permanent basis after a successful loan spell with the Lions, writes Derek Davis.The initial deal is only until the end of the season when he will then be a free agent and he joins as a free transfer from Ipswich Town.

ANDY Marshall has signed for Millwall on a permanent basis after a successful loan spell with the Lions, writes Derek Davis.

The initial deal is only until the end of the season when he will then be a free agent and he joins as a free transfer from Ipswich Town.

Marshall originally joined on a month's loan deal but has impressed Lions boss Dennis Wise and kept his third clean sheet on Wednesday in the 1-0 win at Wimbledon.

Marshall was last night delighted at securing his short-term future and revealed to the EADT that talks were already in progress at signing a longer contract for the FA Cup semi-finalists.

He said: "I'm very pleased, It is all about playing football.

"We have discussed a longer-term deal but we did not have time to get everything sorted out.

"If it doesn't work out then I'm still playing games and I'm in the window.

"I wanted to be involved here. It is a great club, with a terrific set of lads. We are also a good side, you don't go joint-fourth in Division One and a cup semi-final by not being a good side."

Marshall is relieved his Ipswich Town nightmare is over but insisted it was not always bad.

He said: "The media didn't help me and a section of the fans did not make it easy for me. But I showed I was big enough and brave enough to put up with that and I proved that when I came back to Portman Road.

"But I also leave with a lot of good memories of Ipswich. It is a great set- up, the lads are a fantastic bunch and I will always be grateful to George Burley for taking me there.

"I have moved on now and I'm looking forward to the remainder of this season which promises to be very exciting."

In a slow-moving transfer day the only other Ipswich interest came with another bid by Bryan Robson to take Alun Armstrong on a permanent basis but that was thwarted by the Bantams' administrators.

Bradford sold Paul Evans to Nottingham Forest moments before the 5pm deadline with the midfielder joining on loan until the end of the season and then a further two years for an undisclosed fee.

Forest also secured Everton keeper Paul Gerard on loan until the end of the season. Gerard spent a month at Ipswich before a knee injury prevented a longer-term deal being done.

Meanwhile, Craig Fagan has signed for Colchester United on a free transfer. The striker had been on loan at the U's from Birmingham.