VELICE Sumulikoski will win his 50th Macedonian cap next week but vows not to let the international interruption affect Ipswich's play-off chase.

Derek Davis

By Derek Davis

VELICE Sumulikoski will win his 50th Macedonian cap next week but vows not to let the international interruption affect Ipswich's play-off chase.

The Macedonian international travels to the war-ravaged region on Sunday for a friendly against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Zenica, next Wednesday before jetting back in time for the Blues' home game with QPR.

Sumulikoski is bullish about Town's chances of squeezing back into the top six and staying then and insists he will be ready to play his part.

“It will be difficult again going to Macedonia then Bosnia and then back. It may just be a friendly but it is important to me. I won't let it be a disruption.

“It will be my 50th cap and I'm very proud of that.

“It is a big rivalry. We were both part of Yugoslavia before the separation so we know each other. Some players have friends in the Bosnia-Herzegovina and I know a couple too.”

The Balkans has once again exploded with fighting in neighbouring Kosovo involving Serbs but Sumulikoski is used to ignoring such actions.

He said: “I like football, not politics so I just concentrate on the football.”

The 26-year-old, who signed in January from Turkish side Bursaspor, admits he has taken time to settle but insists Town fans have yet to see the best of him.

“It is probably harder than I thought it would be. English football is the best in the world and it ahs been a bit surprising especially

“I'm a foreign player in a new country and it is all new to me but I feel I'm adapting slowly.

“I was flying around so much between Turkey, Macedonia and England that it was difficult. I feel a lot more settled now and feel I will only get better.”

Town go to second-from-bottom Scunthorpe on Saturday looking to take another step nearer the play-offs and Sumulikoski believes the win over Charlton was the ideal springboard.

He said: “It was a hard game but a welcome the three points. We had to fight for it but we won.”

Sumulikoski was doing some promotion work of a different kind yesterday when he was at Ipswich fire station to help raise funds for Operation Florian, a project that will help send four fire appliances and equipment to Macedonia.

Although he looked a natural in the gear Sumulikoski instead he was happier in a town strip.

derek.davis@archant.co.uk