Ipswich Town: Sammie Szmodics discusses his career and summer transfer

His career has come full circle in a way, starting off down the road at Colchester United. He’s played in every division from the National League to the Premier League, giving him vital experience at a variety of different levels.

That brief stint in the fifth tier of English football hit him hard. “It was a shock,” he recalled. “I remember I played on a Tuesday night for Colchester in League Two and scored. We won 1-0.

“The manager at the time pulled me in and told me that I was going to go to Braintree on loan. I’d just played and scored. I thought he was pulling me in to tell me that I was starting again at the weekend. I was only 18.

“Training in the evening - Tuesday, Thursday nights - you see guys coming in covered in paint from work. I think it makes you realise that it’s a proper shift for these lads, although I know a lot of them are full-time now.

“They're finishing work and going straight to games. We travelled to Halifax and it was on the day. I was asking why we weren’t going the night before and was told that we didn’t do that here.

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“It opened my eyes and made me realise that, with no disrespect, I don’t want to be playing down there because it’s a tough level. People are fighting to pay their mortgages down there, you don’t earn loads of money.

“The games are tough, you’re going to work and you’re travelling to places like Halifax because you love football. It probably opened my eyes, that I’ve played and scored in every league.

“If you told me when I was 18 years old, on loan at Braintree under the Cowley brothers, that in 10 years’ time you’d be in the Premier League and you’ll score at Manchester City, I would’ve laughed at you, but that’s the journey I’ve been on.”

That journey certainly hasn’t been one of linear improvement and constant progression – there have been plenty of ups and downs. After catching the eye at Colchester, he earned a move to Bristol City, where he struggled with the step up to the Championship. A loan spell at Peterborough United materialised into a permanent one, but he returned to the second tier a couple of years later. Even then, the first few months of his time at Ewood Park were tough.

His recent form has been scintillating however, winning the Golden Boot in the Championship last season. Asked what clicked for him, Szmodics replied: “I love having a point to prove. I love people always doubting me. People doubt us now.

Szmodics made his Premier League debut in the Blues' defeat to Liverpool (Image: Ross Halls)

“I went to Bristol and it didn’t work out. In my first year at Blackburn, I struggled to get going. People start questioning if you’re good enough for the level, but I’ve always believed that I’m good enough for the level.

“It’s proving people wrong, without being too cocky and over-the-top. It’s about letting your football do the talking and doing your work on the pitch, which I think I’ve done over the last couple of years.

“Without these setbacks, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I went to Bristol, had a tough time getting in there and playing there. Two or three years ago, I got relegated from the Championship with Peterborough.

“I remember saying to my agent that I’ll still play in the Premier League. We just got relegated from the Championship and I told him that I still believe I’m good enough to play in the Premier League. He told me he believed it as well, but he was laughing because I’d just been relegated from the Championship.

“The biggest thing for me is belief. I’ve always believed that I’m good enough. I’ve always thought that I’d play in the Premier League and I’ve got an opportunity now under a manager at a great football club to show what I can do.

“Last season, I scored numerous goals, which I couldn’t really believe myself. That confidence just kicked on, so hopefully I can bring that into this season.”

His form caught the attention of Ipswich. As a local lad, the Blues had obviously been aware of him for a while, and the chance to make the step-up to the Premier League with them was too good to turn down.

The 28-year-old kept playing for Blackburn Rovers while waiting for his move to Suffolk to materialise (Image: PA)

That didn’t make it any easier for him to leave Blackburn, who were understandably keen to keep him. In the end, it became clear that they were fighting a losing battle.

“It was really tough but Blackburn were really good because the Premier League is everyone’s dream,” he explained. “The transfer was going on for a good six, seven weeks, and there was no hiding away from the fact that I wanted to come here.

“I let Blackburn know my feelings and it was out in the press that I wasn’t playing any pre-season games. I was still training, sometimes with the team and sometimes on my own, but I was going in and being professional.

“I did say to Blackburn that I didn’t want to play in any pre-season games which, to be fair, they were fine with. I kept everything professional at all times, which I think helped with this move.

“When it came to the final moments of trying to get the deal over the line, because I’d been professional and good to Blackburn, they were good to me. I’ve got nothing but good words to say about them.

“It’s tough because ultimately I wanted this move to go through but I needed to stay fit, you don’t want to get injured.

“Blackburn were brilliant with me, and then speaking with Ipswich, they obviously don’t want me to get injured, they wanted to get me for as little as possible and Blackburn wanted to sell me for as much as possible.

“So much goes into the transfer, but I’ve seen things in the press before where players throw their toys out of the pram. It doesn’t help. I had a job to do and I was still contracted by Blackburn. They offered me a big deal to stay but my mind was already made up to come here.”

Sammie Szmodics. Who else? 🤩

Mayhem at Elland Road as Blackburn go 1-0 up after 81 minutes 💣 pic.twitter.com/wcYqtiTofH

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) April 13, 2024

It was an emotional move for Szmodics to make. His great grandmother was an Ipswich fan, as are many of his friends. He revealed that, when he first arrived at the club, manager Kieran McKenna introduced him to the group by playing the clip of him scoring for Blackburn at Elland Road, a result that helped the Blues finish above Leeds United to secure promotion last season.

“I found it great,” the 28-year-old said about his first few days at the club. “I knew a lot of the lads anyway from playing against them. I knew a couple of the staff from my time at Bristol City and I’ve heard such good things about the manager. Obviously I’ve seen it up close and personal now. It’s fantastic.

“I feel like I’ve improved as a player tactically as well as on the ball. He’s made my life very easy to adapt and it’s an area I grew up in. When you’re settled off the pitch, you can really focus on it. I think it helps in that way.”

Now he’s a Premier League player. “This is it,” he admits. This is the ‘pinch myself’ moment.”

It’s a big challenge for him. He described his battle against 19-year-old Manchester City starlet Rico Lewis as one of the toughest he’s faced this season while also picking out Erling Haaland, joking that the Norwegian superstar took tips from his performances in the Championship last season.

“There comes a degree of also knowing that I’m good enough to be in and around these players,” he argued. “They aren’t just Premier League teams, they’re the opposition now.

“I’m a big West Ham fan, but there’s nothing more that I’d like than to go to West Ham and win because I’ve supported them for my whole life. You want to mix it with the best, so going to West Ham and winning would be amazing for me as a fan.

Jamie Vardy congratulated Szmodics on his goals last season (Image: PA)

“You’ve got to find that balance of realising how much hard work you’ve put in to get where you are and really appreciate that they’re Premier League teams, but I play for a Premier League team now.

“It’s about relishing these moments, taking it in and showing people what you can do.”

At 28, Szmodics comes just outside of the age bracket that Ipswich would usually target. No matter how well he plays, he’s unlikely to every become a player worth £100 million as a result. It certainly draws some parallels with Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, who’s best years have come in the twilight of his career.

“What he’s done is obviously amazing,” Szmodics said. “At his age now, to still be doing it – I had a good chat with him at the end of last season. We played against Leicester and he congratulated me on the goals.

“It’s quite a similar story. Maybe he was a bit later than me, but he’s worked his way up and he’s doing it week in, week out in the Premier League. It’s something that ultimately I want to achieve.

“Obviously this is my first season in the Premier League but our journeys are probably very similar, so I can look at aspects of his game, the way that he’s done it. It’s probably very similar to me.

“He congratulated me on the goals. From someone like him, of his stature, having played for England and scored the goals he’s scored, it’s obviously very nice of him. He gave me a bottle of champagne to say congratulations for the season I had.

Szmodics scored against Town at Portman Road last season (Image: PA)

“That was something he didn’t need to do. I don’t really know him on a personal level, but it just shows the character that he is.”

Focus now turns to Saturday’s game at Southampton. Szmodics has his first goal and Ipswich have picked up their first points, but a win is next on the agenda.

After that, Szmodics is keen to score his first goal for the club at Portman Road. Many supporters will remember his celebration when he scored against the Blues in Peterborough’s 4-1 win in Suffolk back in February 2020. This time, he’s looking forward to the fans in the North Stand cheering him.

“I think, bar one game, every time I’ve played at Portman Road I’ve scored!” he laughed. “Growing up as a Colchester lad, people used to think there’s some rivalry. I used to see things like ‘I hate Ipswich Town, I’d never play for Ipswich Town’, which has never been the case. It’s just something that I’ve never needed to come out and openly say.

“I’ve got family members that support Ipswich, I’ve got family members that support Colchester, there’s no hiding that. Growing up, playing for Colchester, I was a Colchester fan. I always wanted to beat Ipswich.

“Every team I play for, I wear my heart on my sleeve. I’m a very serious character but I’m not a serious character. I love the banter, I’m loud and I’m the same on the pitch. If I score against a team and the fans are giving me a bit, I’ll give a bit back at them.

“At Portman Road, it would always be that the fans would give me some so I’d give them some back. It always used to be like that.

“Scoring at the Etihad, for me that was unbelievable, but scoring at Portman Road, hopefully it’s at that end. To have the fans cheering as opposed to booing and giving me some gestures, it’ll probably be a bit better this time.

“Scoring at Ipswich would be amazing for me, to turn those boos into cheers.”