Ipswich Town announce double signing

Ipswich Town have announced the season-long loan capture of Leicester City forward Tom Lawrence as well as a one-year deal for veteran striker Leon Best.

Lawrence, 22, spent time on loan in the Championship with Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers last term and is currently away with the Wales national squad as they begin their World Cup 2018 qualifying campaign.

Best, meanwhile, has been training with Mick McCarthy's side for the last week following his release from Rotherham United at the end of last season.

Speaking about his switch, Lawrence told the club's official website: "Leicester are signing a lot of players so I spoke to people at the club and told them I thought it was best if I could go out on loan and have the chance to play regular first-team football.

"I think there were a few clubs interested but Ipswich are a club that always seem to be up at the top end of the Championship. I want to be at a club that has ambition and wants to push for promotion and hopefully we can do that here."

Best said: "This is a proper football club. I could tell that as soon as I walked through the door. You can tell that everyone knows what they are doing, everyone knows what is expected of them. There is a real togetherness here.

"It's funny because people in the game have told me that Mick McCarthy would be a good manager for me to work under and I've felt that as well, now I have that chance. He's a straight-forward, honest man and honesty is a key thing in football. He said to me 'come in and show what you can do and we will take it from there' and that is what has happened."

McCarthy had been in the market for reinforcements this window following injury to David McGoldrick and the sale of Daryl Murphy to divisional rivals Newcastle United.