Blues stalwart Simon Milton, who is leaving the club after 30 years, reflects on his career with his beloved Blues.

There is a picture that Simon Milton uses in his capacity as a guest speaker at various functions and conferences.

“I have got my hands up in the air, playing at Portman Road, in a home kit, in the Premier League, scoring against Spurs, live on Sky,” enthuses Milton, who hit 72 goals in 258 games for the Blues.

“That’s the pinnacle of my career.

“If I’d have played for England, the picture would have been in an England shirt, but I didn’t.”

It’s a coveted possession of the former midfielder’s, but just as memorable are the events that led up to it.

“When I talk about that picture, I discuss how many people helped me get there,” Milton explains.

“Every school match, PE teacher, local team, non-league team – Thetford Rovers, Thetford Town, Bury Town. Then I came to Ipswich and think of everyone that helped me there.”

Milton reached the Premier League as part of the 1991-92 Division Two title-winning team.

“Being part of a team that starts a season and ends it as champions is unbelievable,” he explained.

“During the early part of that season, we played Port Vale at home in front of less than nine thousand people and the last game of the season, we played Brighton here and the capacity was about twenty-two thousand – it was a sell-out and we were champions.”

He added: “We went for it home and away, could nick goals anywhere and the icing on the cake was probably (Jason) Dozzell and (Chris) Kiwomya. They blossomed up front together.”

That duo were just two of a number of quality players that Milton had the pleasure to team up with, John Wark and Kieron Dyer the best in his eyes.

“I loved playing in front of Micky Stockwell, or Neil Thompson or (Mauricio) Taricco, they knew when to give you the ball, they wouldn’t run off and leave you, they’d offer you an angle,” he says.

“Gavin Johnson was a great player, I played about 15 games on the trot with Steve Palmer in the centre of midfield, he was a good player.

“Steve Whitton was outstanding the year we got promoted, Paul Goddard offered something completely different.

“So many good, honest, hard-working players, who believed in the way the team wanted to play.”