Ipswich new boy Nigel Reo-Coker has explained the background to his move to Portman Road on a three-month deal. The 28-year-old midfielder quit Bolton when they were relegated from the Premier League last season and had been without a club until agreeing a short-term contract last weekend.

He said: “I had a conversation with the manager and the best way to describe it is that everything fell into place. It works out well for the club and me, and I’m now looking forward to playing games again.

“I’ve known Ipswich from a very young age. I remember when I used to come here and play for the Wimbledon Academy and I remember when Darren Bent used to be here.

“I know all about the club and the facilities, and I know Ipswich is a sleeping giant, a well-supported club and one with a great history.”

Reo-Coker insisted he had no regrets about leaving Bolton but admitted: “It has been a very stressful summer — that’s the best way to put it — and there’s been a lot going on.

“But I’m here now and I’m looking forward to what lies ahead. It’s difficult and any professional who has been in my situation will tell you the same thing.

“It’s not something you can easily handle, especially someone of my character and nature. I take my occupation very seriously and I love football.

“Everywhere you go you look to educate yourself more and more about the game and it’s true that you never stop learning. It is always developing and I’ve been very fortunate to see the old-school generation coming through and now the new generation of players.

“The day you think you are at the top or you’re the best is the day you should just retire as a footballer. There’s no such thing and even the truly world-class players like Rooney, Ronaldo and Messi will all think they can still get better. You never stop developing and learning. The game is ever-changing.

“I’m still only 28 and I’ve got a few years left in me yet. I’ve taken care of myself off the field and I believe that goes a long way. Players are playing for longer now because there are things available to us that weren’t available, say, 10 years ago.

“It’s different to Wimbledon but there’s a similar atmosphere and that’s something that is needed at any successful football club. You need that nice family environment where everyone gets along very well and there are no big egos in the dressing room. You need togetherness around the training ground that you can take out on to the pitch with you.”

Photo: Action Images

corshamblue added 06:21 - Oct 19 all sounds good, I hope he settles in and gets to like it here enough to stay a bit longer than the 3 months of the initial contract.
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Blue_Dwarf added 06:24 - Oct 19 Reo Coker sounds a level headed chap and is a serious player but it only suits him as its a 3 month deal for him to up and leave in Jan to a bigger club. With Wellens using us as a Leicester reserve side this is what ITFC have become
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Superfrans added 07:47 - Oct 19 If we can get this fella to stay, maybe sign for a couple of years, this fella could be a big player for us.
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oscarwhiting added 07:55 - Oct 19 This could be a handy player in league 1. Jokes but this guy could come in handy especially if he sighns a longer deal in jan.
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Kesgraveblue57 added 09:54 - Oct 19 Reo Coker is a class act, I just hope he puts the past behind him I like many others have seen him play and he was a great player. Welcome to Ipswich Town Reo Coker get yourself fit in mind and body not for Ipswich but for yourself.
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Mark added 10:05 - Oct 19 I hope we see his quality quickly, as I worry he isn't up to fitness and by the time he is he will be arranging his move to another club in January. Potentially a good signing, so let's hope he does well and likes it here so a proper permanent contract can be put in place rather than this crazy short-termism.
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rosseden added 10:25 - Oct 19 i think we might have picked up NRC at the righht age..... much younger and he was pretty flighty...... with the summer he has had, and maybe a bit of maturity, if signed on a longer deal we could have a solid capatin in the middle of the park for a few years here......
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Alan_Handsome added 10:32 - Oct 19 (1) He's blatantly using us as a shop-window and if he performs well will be off in January! (2) If he is any good would he not have found a club by now, rather than being a free agent? Is this signing not more of a sign of our desperation rather than a reflection of his ability?
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Stato added 10:39 - Oct 19 best signing of the marcus evans era
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Michael11 added 10:45 - Oct 19 Great signing, hope he signs permanent and takes the armband!
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MickMillsTash added 11:16 - Oct 19 I have no idea which statgey has been drawn out of this months Tombola for ITFC to follow. Maybe we will put out the red carpet make him feel at home and loved so he wants to stay and offer him the contract he will want, which has been pre-agreed already Fear is though of course that we are never going to be able to afford him and one of the sides going for promotion will take a gamble and offer him a better paid long term contract.

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Blue041273 added 11:46 - Oct 19 Football is a profession where certainty is everything. Players thrive in an environment which is stable and secure. Just look at Man U and Arsenal. The players know exactly what they need to do and what the inevitable consequences will be if they don't come up to scratch. Contrast the working environment at these and other clubs with that at PR. Our guys must wake up wondering who has been brought in overnight and if their own welfare is threatened. The revolving door mentality at ITFC surely has to stop. How can you get a bunch of men to gel as a team when you don't know from one game to the next who might be in the squad? NRC comes across as a genuine pro but we all know that he will be repeating the spiel when he signs for someone else in January.

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tractaboy66 added 14:07 - Oct 19 Over the years I think we had only a few loan players who truly earned the right/showed the desire to stay at the club. Now, loan players at ITFC have one thing on their agenda - and it's not playing out of their skins for an extended deal at PR. It's all about 'shop window'. The initial intention could be for the extended deal, but if a bigger club comes sniffing - off they go. Wouldn't it be nice to get a good, capable player who REALLY wanted to stay because they like the club. Sadly, I think that will not happen.

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alfromcol added 19:24 - Oct 19 Same old story. If he plays well in the shop window, he will be off to a higher bidder in January. If he plays poorly he will be allowed to go in January. It's a lose lose for ITFC
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