'I wanted to leave' - Downes opens up on his Ipswich Town departure

Downes signed for Championship outfit Swansea City last week, for a fee believed to be close to £1.5m, with the potential for it to rise to £2m.

The 22-year-old all-action midfielder duly made his debut in the 0-0 draw with Sheffield United on Saturday night, playing the full 90 minutes after a pre-season at Town where he was made to train with the U23 side.

Flynn Downes was once seen as one of Town's brightest hopes for the future (Image: Archant)

Asked after the game what happened to bring about his departure from Suffolk, Downes told Wales Online: ""Honestly, I wish I could tell you.

"I literally found out a few days before I went back, from Kieron Dyer who said I was going to be with the U23s.

"I was like, 'Oh, okay. That says a lot'.

"I spoke to the gaffer at Ipswich last year and we came to an agreement that I wanted to leave. I think that had a part to play in it. That’s fair enough.

"It is what it is. I wish I’d had a better pre-season but there you are.

"I’m buzzing to be here. Being with the U23s has made me appreciate this even more. I can’t wait to get going."

Downes is playing under former Norwich City star and MK Dons boss Russell Martin at Swansea, and has been reunited with ex-Town coach Matt Gill, now an assistant at the Liberty Stadium.

And he says he loves Martin's possession-based, high-tempo style of play.

Flynn Downes was sold to Championship club Swansea City for a fee believed to be in the region of £1.5m. (Image: SWANSEA CITY FC)

"You get a lot of the ball and as a player that’s what you want," Downes enthused.

"You want the ball and to be able to do things. When you haven’t got the ball, you’re sprinting about, you’re blowing, it’s horrible.

"We are not just keeping the ball for the sake of it. We are keeping the ball to move the opponent.

"At Ipswich, sometimes we used to move the ball but it was so slow, so there was no purpose in it. This has got purpose and it’s a pleasure."