Scott Loach

IPSWICH Town have today completed the signing of goalkeeper Scott Loach from Watford, for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £150,000.

The 24-year-old former England Under-21 international – who was twice called up to the senior Three Lions squad in 2010 – has penned a three-year deal which contains the option of a further year.

He will report for his first day of training on Monday and is likely to be included in the Blues squad which travels to Cambridge United for the team’s first pre-season friendly on home soil next Wednesday.

Loach was a Town academy player between the ages of eight and 12 and became a fanatic Blues supporter during that time. He had to leave the club though when his family returned to Nottingham though – the place he was born – due to his father’s work commitments.

Having spent his entire professional career at Watford – making more than 150 appearances for the Championship club – new Hornets boss Gianfranco Zola did not stand in the way of Loach making his dream move.

“There was no doubt in my mind when I heard the interest from Ipswich because I’ve been an Ipswich fan all my life,” said Loach, who seemed to struggle taking in the magnitude of the moment.

“I started going to games when I was six or seven and just fell in love with the team and the stadium. I’ve always enjoyed playing here and always dreamed of actually being able to play for the club one day.

“To hopefully be number one for my boyhood team really is a dream come true.”

Town chief executive Simon Clegg said: “I’m delighted to welcome Scott back to Portman Road. We’ve been having conversations with him and his agent for many months now. I know that he wanted to come back here, we wanted him to come back here – we just needed an alignment of the stars and thankfully it happened.”

Loach added: “I was over the moon just at the interest to be honest, but it was frustrating wondering if the move I really wanted would ever come off. You hear of interest elsewhere but I was always just willing this to come off.

“The last couple of days have been surreal. I’m living the dream and I just can’t wait to pull on that shirt.”

Loach becomes manager Paul Jewell’s third summer signing, following the arrivals of teenage right-back Elliott Hewitt (Macclesfield, £150,000) and centre-back Luke Chambers (Nottingham Forest, free).

– See tomorrow’s EADT and Ipswich Star to read more from an excited Loach.