One word keeps cropping up more than any other when people describe Jens Cajuste as a footballer - 'smooth'.
He's an athletic and aggressive midfielder, but it never looks like he's straining every sinew. Everything feels calm and controlled. His impressive display against Nottingham Forest before the international break, capped by a silky turn and curling finish from the edge of the box, epitomised that.
That playing style goes hand in hand with his personality. The well-travelled Swede is a man of few words, but when they're delivered you instantly feel at ease. Hearing his soft American accent puts me the same relaxed state as listening to a Morgan Freeman or David Attenborough voiceover.
"I live on my own down by the waterfront," he says, with a warm smile, when asked about life in Suffolk. "When I get home from training I like to talk to my family and friends back home. I don't like to run around too much. I like to keep things nice and chilled."
Jens Cajuste has lived in six different countries.Jens Cajuste has lived in six different countries. (Image: Ross Halls)
This interview took place in the build-up to Ipswich's trip to Old Trafford. Cajuste admits he got into football by watching Manchester United and that he had a 'Ronaldo 7' shirt as a young child. The prospect of playing at the Theatre of Dreams didn't seem to raise his heartrate though.
"It's just my personality, I think," he says, seemingly amused at how baffled I am at the above. "It's just how I am.
"Once you play in these sort of games once, twice, three times, you start to become accustomed to it. It's another game of football at the end of the day, so it doesn't frighten me."
European nights at Anfield, Ibrox, the Bernabéu and Nou Camp are all on his CV. At the age of 25, he's already lived in six different countries and played against some of the best players and teams in the world. To tell his story best, it's probably best to go back to the start.
Frantz Cajuste hails from Haiti, the most populous of the Caribbean nations. He married a Swede, Giesla, and Jens, along with his older sister, was subsequently born in Gothenburg.
"I've never been to Haiti, but I've got some family there and a lot more in America," he says. "That heritage means a lot to me.
"Sweden's home though. My friends and family are mostly there."
Jens Cajuste (left) pictured in action against Tottenham.Jens Cajuste (left) pictured in action against Tottenham. (Image: Ross Halls)
Cajuste's first experience of living in another country came at the age of five when his family relocated to China.
"It was because of my dad's work in business and finance," he explains. "It was a massive change, of course. We moved to a city (Luoyang) which had like, I don't know, three or four million people. But in China, that's relatively small!
"In the first year I was home schooled, plus I went to a Chinese tutor. My memory of that is that it was just me, my older sister and a lot of elderly Chinese people who didn't speak a word of English.
"I was still learning the English alphabet at that age, so it was kind of hard to learn the Chinese characters when you don't know A, B, C, D, E! My parents say that I was pretty good at it though. Now, I've forgotten almost everything. But my sister still speaks it at a very high level, as does my father.
"After that we moved to Beijing and I went to international school. We then returned to Sweden when I was around 10.
"I don't remember a whole lot from that time, but I do think that it's impacted me as a person, for sure. I think that kind of made me, in some ways, the person I am today.
"I think it gave me an ability to integrate and adapt. It made me very understanding and accepting of other cultures and ideas from an early age, I think."
Back in Gothenburg, Cajuste played for Örgryte, a team which has historically played in the second and third tiers.
"My youth years were fantastic," he says. "I had a great coach called Johan Mattsson, who basically developed me into the player I am today."
At the age of 18, progressive Danish club Midtjylland came calling.
"I hadn't played much that season, so I don't know how they knew about me, but I just got a phone call one day and after that it moved really quickly. I think it took about a week or two and I was on the move," explains Cajuste.
"The distance isn't that far from Denmark to Sweden (about six hours from Gothenburg to Herning), so I would have my parents around a lot. The language and the culture was very similar, so the adaptation wasn't very hard. It was a good first step out into the real professional world."
Jens Cajuste (bottom right) says his experience of playing for Midtjylland at Rangers was his first 'wow' moment in football.Jens Cajuste (bottom right) says his experience of playing for Midtjylland at Rangers was his first 'wow' moment in football. (Image: PA)
Cajuste fully broke into the first team just before his 20th birthday. His first taste of European football soon came in an enthralling two-legged Europa League qualifier against Scottish giants Rangers. Mention of that Ibrox second leg sparks a grin.
"Yeah, that was my first, like, shock moment," says Cajuste. "I stepped out and was like 'whoa'. I think there was, I don't know, 45,000 or something spectators. It was another level from anything I'd ever experienced. But yeah, it was nice. It was fun, I'd say, most importantly."
So it was more a case of excitement rather than nerves?
"I think you get a natural progression with that," he replies. "Of course, it was a little bit daunting at the time. I think it was a little bit like, okay, this is a little bit new, a little bit unfamiliar, a bit scary maybe.
"But once you do it and then you do it again, it becomes more and more comfortable and easy and then you learn how to handle it."
Midtjylland went on to win the Danish Superliga. Three rounds of Champions League qualifiers were subsequently won, including games against Young Boys and Slavia Prague. Suddenly they were in a group with Liverpool, Atalanta and Ajax.
Cajuste played both games against Liverpool. Goals from Diogo Jota and Mo Salah sealed a 2-0 defeat at Anfield, while the reverse fixture ended 1-1.
"That was during COVID, so there weren't any fans in the stadium, but still, granted, that was an amazing experience too," he says, in typically understated fashion.
Midtjylland's reputation for finding and developing good young players continued to grow. As a result, there were plenty of eyes on Cajuste.
"I think some English clubs were interested at that time, but I ended up going to France," he recalls.
"Talks with Reims started in the summer, I was expecting to leave, but it kind of got drawn out a little bit and I ended up going in January instead.
"It was lovely. Reims is a great place, very close to Paris, which is my favourite city. So it was very enjoyable for myself and my family.
"That was a very good club for me as well. I'm very, very thankful for having been there. I learned a lot during that time.
"We had a great team and went on a record unbeaten run. We went to PSG's stadium and drew there, which was memorable."
Jens Cajuste helped Reims get a draw against a PSG side that had a front three of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.Jens Cajuste helped Reims get a draw against a PSG side that had a front three of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi. (Image: PA)
That Paris Saint-Germain team started with an all-star front three of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. It was around that time that Cajuste made his Sweden debut too, playing alongside Alexander Isak and twice facing Norway's Erling Haaland.
So, if pushed to name just one of each, who are the best players Cajuste has played with and against?
"Well, against is pretty easy - I'll have to say Messi!" he laughs. "Seeing him up close it's incredible to see his quickness of thought.
"The best I've played with is difficult... There's a few I could name, but I'll go with Victor Osimhen. Absolute animal, he's a beast."
Cajuste linked up with Osimhen at Napoli in 2023. The Italian club came calling fresh from winning Serie A and reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
"That came completely out of the blue," says Cajuste, when asked about the €12 million switch.
"It was kind of like the Midtjylland move where I got a phone call and then, within the space of a week or two, it was pretty much done.
"I was surprised. It's a fantastic club that was coming off the back of the Scudetto. So, of course, I was so excited to hear about it."
Napoli went on to finish 12th, with Cajuste working under three different managers in Rudi Garcia, Walter Mazzarri and Francesco Calzona. He did, however, get to experience playing in games against Roma, Inter and Juventus, plus Real Madrid and Barcelona in the Champions League.
Jens Cajuste says Napoli striker Victor Osimhen (centre) is the best he's played with.Jens Cajuste says Napoli striker Victor Osimhen (centre) is the best he's played with. (Image: PA)
"I enjoyed my time there - great club, great people," he says. "It was, of course, tough with the fact that we didn't have the best results in the league, but I still have very, very positive takeaways from that experience.
"The fans there have so much passion. They live and breathe football, and I respect that a lot. They truly, truly love their club. Hats off to that.
"The frustration didn't just come from them, it was internal as well. Nobody was happy with how the results were going and how the games were going. I think that's pretty natural for a high-achieving club like Napoli."
When Antonio Conte was appointed last summer it became clear that Cajuste would need to find a new home. At first, it looked like Brentford would the next stop. The deal got to the medical stage before collapsing.
"I won't go into details, but there were some disagreements and it didn't go through," he says. "But things happen for a reason and I'm very happy I ended up coming to Ipswich. I think this is the right club for me right now. It definitely turned out good."
Having found a way to manage a knee issue, Cajuste has really grown into the season. He's now, I'd say, the first midfielder on Town's team sheet. That's some feat given the competition is influential captain Sam Morsy and 31-cap England international Kalvin Phillips.
"It's a fantastic group, a great group of guys," he enthuses. "I felt it from day one that there's a very strong bond. Now there are a few more new additions, but the coach is doing well to integrate them. Everybody's buying into the culture of what it's like here."
Jens Cajuste has started 19 Premier League games for Ipswich.Jens Cajuste has started 19 Premier League games for Ipswich. (Image: Steve Waller)
On Kieran McKenna, Cajuste says: "He's a special manager. I have massive respect for him as a person and also as a coach. He has a great football mind. I've learnt a lot from him in a short period and I know I'm going to learn a whole lot more as time goes on, so I'm just excited for that.
"The number one thing that Kieran has pushed me on is intensity. He's always talking about keeping that intensity for as long as possible, striving to keep that intensity for 90 minutes. That's the ultimate goal."
Which brings us, inevitably, onto the subject of whether his time at Portman Road could be extended beyond the end of this season-long loan spell.
He still has three years left on his contract at Napoli. There have been reports that Ipswich hold an option to buy, but only if they avoid Premier League relegation - something that now looks highly unlikely.
"I think it's a matter of we'll have to wait and see," says Cajuste. "I don't know myself (about a buy clause), I have no idea what will happen. There's still some games left and that's my main focus right now.
"What happens in the summer, happens in the summer. It's out of my control, so I don't put any focus on that right now.
"We'll see where it goes. I've enjoyed my time so far here, definitely, so that's all I can say right now."
On one hand, adding La Liga and the Bundesliga to his set of top-flight experiences must be tempting for a man who loves embracing new cultures. On the other, I suggest, the quiet Suffolk lifestyle, and putting down some roots, must also appeal.
"I think Suffolk does suit me," he concurs. "Like you said, I'm pretty relaxed, pretty laid back, so I think it suits me like a hand in the glove. I think it's perfect for me."
Keeping Cajuste would certainly make the transition into next season much smoother, that's for sure.