Scotland promises goals

The powerful front-runner, a prolific goalscorer in League One and the Championship with Swansea City, is confident that he can emulate the feat under Roy Keane.

While Scotland was being unveiled at an official Portman Road press conference, Jon Stead was being paraded as Bristol City’s new signing. Stead left Town to join the Robins for a fee of £225,000, on a three-year package.

“I’m delighted to be here as an Ipswich player. Hopefully, I can carry Ipswich into the Premiership,” enthused Scotland.

“I hope Ipswich fans will see some goals from me, and that I can rediscover my form from Swansea. I want to beat last season’s leading scorer here (Jon Walters), whom I believe scored just eight goals.

“It’s been a tough time for me at Wigan. I haven’t been playing as much, and not been scoring as much, but I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead,” added Scotland.

A team-mate of Town winger Carlos Edwards in the Trinidad & Tobago international squad, Scotland is all geared up to making his Town debut at Crewe in the Carling Cup tonight, although he is unlikely to start.

The 31-year-old, who mustered just one goal in 32 outings in the Premier League with Wigan, is certainly looking forward to playing under new boss Keane.

“I went to meet him (Keane) on the Friday before the Middlesbrough game, when they were training. He sold the club to me that day,” revealed Scotland.

“I shook his hand and told him it was an honour to meet him, after what he has achieved in the game. I told him it will be an honour to play for him.

“I’m available to play at Crewe, but it would be tough to play 90 minutes, although I’d like to get some minutes under my belt,” added Scotland.

Before his lean spell in the top flight with Wigan, livewire Scotland averaged a goal every two games for Swansea, netting 45 goals in 90 league appearances.

Chief executive Simon Clegg explained: “Securing Jason once again demonstrates the ambition of this football club, and the aspirations that are shared by Jason to return to the Premier League.

“This deal was actually agreed last week, but because of the Wigan manager’s requirements to have Jason available in the squad for Saturday’s game against Chelsea, the deal could not be completed until today.”

Keane was also delighted to get his man. The Irishman said: “He’s been one of the targets I’ve been after for a while.

“We hope he can score the goals that we want, but he won’t do it by himself. Like all strikers, he needs service.”

Scotland Targeting Premier League Return.
twtd.co.uk.

New Town striker Jason Scotland has targeted a return to the Premier League with the Blues now he has finally signed his two-year contract at Portman Road. Scotland, like Town manager Roy Keane and chief executive Simon Clegg, had become frustrated waiting for the completion of a deal which took more than three weeks to conclude.

Scotland, who underwent a medical at Town on Sunday, netted only two goals in his 18 starts and 18 sub appearances for the Latics last season and wants a second chance in the top flight: “It would be good to make it in the Premiership with Ipswich Town and prove myself at that level. It was a difficult time for me last season. I haven’t played much, I haven’t scored much and I want to prove myself at that level.
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“People say I can do it in the Championship week-in, week-out, but you want to do it in the Premiership week-in, week-out. You want to do it at the highest level and the Premiership is the highest level.”

Despite his lack of goals, the Morvant-born striker feels his overall performances and all-round game were decent enough: “I think played well and I contributed. I played well against Chelsea last season and we won 3-1, so I think I contributed in some capacity. I didn’t score many goals, but I contributed.”

The 31-year-old says he is looking to emulate his form from his spell with Swansea now that his Town move, which was held up while Wigan boss Roberto Martinez added to his squad, is done and dusted: “I scored a lot of goals with Swansea. It was a good squad at Swansea and a good team spirit as well.

“It’s been three weeks, probably longer, and I’m just looking forward to getting playing again, scoring goals and enjoying football.

“It’s been a tough time at Wigan. I haven’t been playing as much and I haven’t been scoring as much. I’m looking forward to the challenge, scoring goals and doing well.

“The manager said that last season the top scorer got eight goals, so hopefully I can beat that and continue scoring.”

Scotland, who intends to continue his international career with Trinidad and Tobago, says Swansea were amongst a number of other clubs to show interest this summer, but that he and his wife decided on Town: “Yes, there was some interest [from Swansea] in getting me back, but it’s time to move on and go to the next chapter and I’m here at Ipswich Town.

“Ipswich was the decision I made with my wife. She was interested in Ipswich. Carlos is my mate from Trinidad and he’s here. I played with him at Defence Force and it’s good to be back with my mate Carlos.”

Town’s new number 10 says his fellow Trinidadian helped persuade him to join the Blues, as did manager Roy Keane: “Carlos recommended the club highly - the fans, the ambitions to play in the Premiership.

“I met the manager the day before the game at Middlesbrough. He said he’s ambitious to be in the Premier League as well and sold the club to me.

“I’m ambitious and I want to be in the Premier League again. Everyone’s ambitious to be at the highest level.”

Scotland says he has a lot of respect for his new manager, although has heard not entirely glowing reports of him from Edwards: “When I went to meet him at Middlesbrough I shook him by the hand and told him it was an honour to meet him for what he achieved in the game with his previous clubs.

“Carlos hasn’t said much about the gaffer. He said a couple of bad things, but they’re between me and him! He said a couple of good things as well! He said the gaffer’s a good lad.

“He didn’t really say many bad things, more good than bad and obviously he followed him down here to Ipswich Town.”

The ex-Dundee United and St Johnstone man remembers his two goals the last time he faced the Blues for Swansea and is aiming to net twice more on his return to South Wales: “Hopefully, I will go back to the Liberty and score two for Ipswich Town!”

Scotland says he doesn’t mind whether he’s a lone frontman or plays alongside another striker: “I’m comfortable playing on my own sometimes. Last season, in the Premiership, it was difficult playing on my own. Coming up against world class defenders week-in, week-out was very difficult and I didn’t score many goals.

“In the Championship I’ve played as a lone striker and I scored 24 goals. I think it’s how the manager sees it. If he decides to play two up front, fine by me, if he decides to one, I’m OK with that.”

Overall, Scotland, who has been capped 41 times by his country, scoring eight goals, sees his switch as a chance to help Town build and progress into the Premier League: “It’s taking a step backwards to take a step forward

“It would be better going into the Premier League with ‘my’ team rather than a team which I don’t really know about. It was difficult going to Wigan, a team I had never played with. For me to go up into the Premiership with Ipswich Town would mean a whole lot.

“It would mean that I and the squad had taken them into the Premiership, and that would be exciting for the players.”