TWTD understands free agent former Lincoln City central defender James Wilson was training with the Blues squad at Playford Road today.

Town are very much in the market for another senior centre-half with skipper Luke Chambers and Toto Nsiala the only experienced central defenders at the club, ahead of youngsters Luke Woolfenden and Corrie Ndaba, although Cole Skuse impressed at the heart of the defence against Sheffield United towards the end of last season.

Chambers will miss the opening game against Burton due to suspension, while Nsiala suffered a hamstring injury at the Interwetten Cup, which appears likely to see him miss the first few weeks of the season.

Wilson, 30, will hope to show manager Paul Lambert and his staff that he is the man to fill that vacancy and win a deal at Portman Road.

Newport-born Wilson, who will know Blues keeper-coach Jimmy Walker from his time at Lincoln, started his career with Bristol City before moving on loan to Brentford and then Cheltenham on loan.

A two-year spell with Oldham between 2014 and 2016 followed before he joined Sheffield United.

However, his two-season stint at Bramall Lane - including their 2016/17 League One promotion campaign - saw him make only a handful of appearances and Wilson, who also operates at right-back, joined Walsall on loan during 2017/18 before making a permanent switch to the Imps in January 2018.

Capped by Wales once at full level in addition to appearances for the U19s and U21s, Wilson’s contract at Lincoln was cancelled by mutual consent at the end of last month as he had been unable to command a regular place in the side at Sincil Bank as the Imps carried off the League Two title.

Photo: Action Images

ipswichheritage added 01:03 - Jul 18 Algarvefan - who were those 2 x West Ham cb's then?
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Saxonblue74 added 07:44 - Jul 18 Would everyone just calm down and let the season start before writing us off!!!! Bookies had us down for relegation and so many on here were crowing about how they usually get it right. 2nd favourites for ptomotion this year and guess what? Suddenly they don't have a clue?! Fans have been calling for the following: Sack McCarthy✔ Give our youth a chance✔ Play more positive football✔ Less loan signings✔ Stop selling best players✔ Sign a decent striker✔ I understand there are a few more things on the "wish list", some realistic, some total fantasy for a club in our situation. Patience is going to be key, as is the continued brilliant support offered by fans last season. Protests and negativity will have a hugely detramental effect on our team. Lambert is only now being given the opportunity to put his stamp on things, I for one will put my trust in him. Regarding the potential new signings, they need to be given the benefit of the doubt also. PL would struggle to do my job I'm sure, I'm not one who's going to pretend to be able to do his!

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Barty added 08:15 - Jul 18 I have supported Ipswich for 48 years and this is by far the worst state the club has ever been in but I am an optimist and I am trying to remain positive [ not easy ] but surely we can do better than this FFS.
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Skip73 added 10:19 - Jul 18 There must be some released players from Whitton United and Ipswich Wanderers we could look at. Maybe not regular there but could push for a start in our side.
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ClactonTrueBlue added 10:23 - Jul 18 Feels like a panic move and not at all strategic. Step backwards?
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Lightningboy added 10:29 - Jul 18 Norwood aside this just about sums up our owner's ambition & vision for our club. 😖
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brendenward35 added 10:30 - Jul 18 Lets cast our mind back to the end of last season we beat Leeds and that was some challenge. Considering we were dead and buried the fans got behind the team and made Portman Road a nice place to be and enjoyed watching a much better style of football which is all down to a new manager. Rather go back to the McCarthy days or stay on Lamberts road. It's been said time and time again there's no money so people need to get real 9m is a lot to lose and who makes that up? Evans might put in a few million but why should he fund it all. Why didn't people buy more season tickets that would have also helped. We need to get Portman Road rocking again and have a hell of a lot of patience and accept we are going to get freebies and shop at Poundland but thats life we've made our bed through poor running of the club but I know PL heart is well and truly in it (could have walked away and he didn't as he liked the idea of a challenge and love the fans something Mick certainly didn't do) So get behind the manager and whatever team he pulls together and support the youngsters they are going to make mistake but they will learn quickly. Anyone thinking about a protest you should be ashamed certainly not a loyal fan. COYB's

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Kingfisher49 added 10:59 - Jul 18 Where is the harm in having a look at a guy in training and possibly a match against Colchester on Friday. It could be a good move that suits all parties and maybe even a short term answer for the early part of the season. I somehow think PL will give him a one year deal or say sorry your not what we are looking for. Cannot see a two or three year deal being offered. As the season draws closer I cannot see anything wrong in having him in to assess his potential.

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Barty added 11:30 - Jul 18 Evans is almost a BILLIONAIRE but unfortunately he has lost all interest in our club and again unfortunately new owners are not queuing up to buy ITFC but I have renewed my season ticket as I have done for the past 40 years and will be behind the manager and team 100% next season. COYB
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roystevensonsrocket added 12:03 - Jul 18 Last season at this stage I predicted that we could achieve promotion such was my optimism ( along with many of us if they were truthful . I obviously was disastrously wrong . Now having seen how we played last year a the relative strength and resilience and physicality ( thuggishness ) of division 1 I truly believe we will finish about 8th from bottom . Why? Because we have a midfield made of injury prone too lightweight players coupled with the fact that the best player in the club judgy won't be with us . Coupled with the fact we don't know if Norwood will cut the mustard in div1 and also the fact how the defence inability has been described very well in on these pages. BUT one fact in our favour is that I AM USUALLY WRONG as I was last year so hope PL can pull some rabbits out a hat along the way!

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Bert added 12:10 - Jul 18 Protest ? I would rather protest about a clown becoming PM than against my team. Let the season start before moaning.
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dirtydingusmagee added 12:20 - Jul 18 roystevensonsrocket, Paul Lambert ,will certainly need to pull something out of the bag when season starts. As much as i like the man and was happy to see him appointed HE HAS ACHIEVED ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in terms of results, he may have sweetened the atmosphere around the club but if things dont change we will be in the foul smelling dung again soon .
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ITFCsince73 added 12:53 - Jul 18 Hope things change quick. We seem to be on a path to L2. Yes we have great young players, and yes I'd like to see as many played as possible. We just need 2 or 3 experienced, quality additions. And if we don't realise that soon. It will be a hard season from the off. Get these 3 requirements in asap is the order of the day. Evan's needs to fund this for the sake of the club. All cost will be over the length of contract. Could prove the difference.

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Saxonblue74 added 13:05 - Jul 18 Barty, when are people going to understand that Evans fortune is NOT a big pile of cash under his matress?! He has made his fortune through astute business decisions, he's still making them!
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BeattiesBackPocket added 14:02 - Jul 18 Saxonblue74 astute business decisions for every other part of his company but not ours. Astute as in hiring a non football person in clegg and letting him not offer contracts to our main assets like Norris, leadbitter etc we'd spent money on and letting them leave for nothing, not investing when the team was top of the league at one point, talking about a five point plan but selling our talented kids at a young age before even entering under 23's, paying himself 500 grand a year and mick a million a year in wages, somehow us having third lowest wage budget in the championship past three years then bemoaning losing more money now we've gone down when investing more in wages wouldn't made us challenge more, taking us from a side challenging under magilton to a league one side? Yes very astute indeed

2

Bluearmy_81 added 14:41 - Jul 18 Anyone thinking about a protest you should be ashamed certainly not a loyal fan. No it's you who should be ashamed, sitting passively by while ITFC under its current set up burns. Where's your passion and pride in the club gone? Demand better for ITFC.
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ITFCsince73 added 15:07 - Jul 18 Very well said beattiesbackpocket and 81. Saxonblue74. Please.....were only heading in 1 direction with current policy.
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ITFCsince73 added 15:13 - Jul 18 Brenden. Do you realise how much weaker we are as a squad and club since V Leeds.
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ITFCsince73 added 15:18 - Jul 18 On current trend theres absolutely no chance the bookies will have us anywhere near top 2 finish come 1st game of the season. Anyone wishing to back Town for the coming season for promotion, I'd strongly suggest waiting until season KO. To get more realistic odds. Not long now before were out to 16/1.
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ITFCsince73 added 15:34 - Jul 18 Of course the astute punter took Town to finish out top 6. The moment relegation was confirmed. The bookies making us instant favourites gave odds to good to miss. Bookies obviously not aware at the time of who owns the club, and who leads the team.
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Carberry added 15:57 - Jul 18 The reality is when you buy a football club you have to be prepared to fund it unless you are in the Prem. Evans doesn't want to do that that now the crock of gold is out of reach and he is treading water waiting to offload. Unfortunately, what he has left us with is a crock of something else.
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richardpaul added 19:03 - Jul 18 saw the heading Wilson in training with Ipswich Thats him injured then.
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rubbleblue added 13:27 - Jul 19 Well I am a season ticket holder at Lincoln, although my heart belongs to the tractor boys. This guy has been at Lincoln a couple of seasons and really hasn't been able to shift any of the back 4. Only playing in cup games that really didn't matter covering injuries. Always felt had an error waiting to happen in him. I would say no.
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Saxonblue74 added 18:16 - Jul 19 73, I'll hold onto my money til we're out to 16's then!
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