Former Ipswich Town midfielder Tom Carroll has admitted that he didn't realise how big the club is until he left.

The 31-year-old, who took a year out from football after leaving the Blues, made just 17 appearances during his short stint at Portman Road. He ended up joining League One outfit Exeter City back in July 2023.

His time in Suffolk was difficult. He was one of 19 signings to arrive in the summer of 2021, many of whom took a while to reach their best. Paul Cook, the manager who signed him, was sacked in December, and the club have been on an upward trajectory since appointing Kieran McKenna.

It took until he was released at the end of the 2021/22 campaign for him to realise just how big the club is, and he's glad to see them thriving in the Championship heading into the final eight games of the season.

“It was a bit of a strange time when I joined Ipswich, with so many new faces and the turnover of players they had at the time," he told the EADT and Ipswich Star via Sky Bet.

"I had my season at QPR, then I got the call from Ipswich in the summer, and I was interested straight away.

"I don’t think I realised how big of a club Ipswich is until I left. 

“They’ve obviously done so well this season and it’s been great to see. I thought they would do well, but managing to stay up the top the whole season has been amazing.”