It’s yet another season of the unknown for Ipswich Town, and their return to the Championship will be one of excitement for supporters.
After back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League, the Tractor Boys’ upward trajectory was halted following relegation from the top flight and now they must prepare themselves for life back in the EFL.
Ipswich fans do have the East Anglian derby to look forward to, and with fixture release day just a week away, anticipation for the 2025/26 campaign is building steadily.
However, Kieran McKenna heads into the new season without his top scorer from the last in Liam Delap, after he joined Chelsea for £30m. But that should not worry him for one key reason.
Sammie Szmodics will be crucial to Ipswich Town in the new season
Sammie Szmodics joined Ipswich last summer from Blackburn Rovers for a fee that BBC Sport reported could rise to £11m, and he made an instant impact in the Premier League.
Sammie Szmodics of Ipswich Town during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Ipswich Town FC
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
The Republic of Ireland international scored on his debut for the Tractor Boys, finding the back of the net against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium to send the travelling support into a state of ecstasy behind the goal.
Szmodics scored three more times in the Premier League, including a stunning overhead kick against Tottenham Hotspur to secure Ipswich their first win of the season in November.
An ankle injury all but ended his season early, as he missed 15 of the last 18 games of the campaign and he will be raring to go once the summer has ended.
Sammie Szmodics’ recent Championship record is excellent
Ipswich fans are looking forward to their Championship return, and Szmodics potentially is as well after just how well he did in the division last time out.
The 29-year-old scored 27 goals in 44 games for Blackburn in his last full season in the second tier, keeping Rovers away from relegation thanks to a last-day double against champions Leicester City.
While not explicitly a striker, Szmodics often finds himself in very advanced positions. He combined extraordinarily well with Sam Gallagher at Ewood Park and he must do so once again with George Hirst.
There is no doubting that losing Delap is a big blow for Ipswich. However, they have proven quality in their squad and McKenna should be challenging for promotion once again.