Ahead of Wycombe Wanderers’ away trip to Ipswich Town on Good Friday, manager Matt Bloomfield has opened up on his appreciation for the club where his football career began.

Growing up in Felixstowe, Suffolk, which is the area he is still based in, the 39-year-old made one appearance for his boyhood club before enjoying a 19-year playing career with the Chairboys.

Speaking to the press before the Buckinghamshire outfit travel to East Anglia, he spoke about his links to the Portman Road club along with the memories he cherishes.

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However, he reiterated the notion that his main focus is ‘not about the emotion’, but to ‘win’ the match for Wycombe.

He told both the Bucks Free Press and BBC 3 Counties Radio: “It’s no secret that Ipswich is a club that’s close to my heart.

“I was a fan of the club growing up, I only live 20 minutes away and my grandad used to take me many games at Portman Road.

“The club had a huge influence on my life from those early experiences.

“I used to watch the team before being accepted into the Centre of Excellence which was later turned into the Academy, and I worked my way up through the system.

“I started when I was 12 in 1996 and left seven years later in 2003 when I was 19.

“I made some great friends there, people who I am still in contact with.

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“However, I didn’t realise the blessing it would be to leave the club and join Wycombe.

"It was a big moment to go away from home, stand on my own two feet and make a career in professional football.”

On his solitary appearance for Ipswich, which was in a 2-1 away loss against Notts County in the League Cup in September 2003, he added: “It was a really proud moment to make an appearance for the club that I supported as a kid was massive in my life.

“We went away to Notts County and got beat coming on as a substitute in the first-half and we got beat.

“It wasn’t a good result for the club and sometimes you get associated with that as I never got a second opportunity, so that was disappointing at the time.”

Finally, whilst he admitted that standing on the Portman Road dugout is not impact him emotionally, he hopes the moment will be on for his family to cherish.

He concluded: “I hope my family enjoys it as they’ve been with me through thick and thin.

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“A life in football is a rollercoaster and they’ve been with me in the good and the bad.

“So for me, it’s not about the emotion as I just want to win the football match.

“I’m proud to be the manager of Wycombe and I want to try and get a good result.”