Ipswich Town manager Paul Lambert has ruled out the possibility of the club re-signing defender Tommy Smith on a free transfer.

The 29-year-old - who made nearly 250 appearances for the Tractor Boys between 2008 and 2018 - is currently a free agent following the expiration of his contract at Colorado Rapids.

The defender has spent the past few weeks training with Ipswich following the end of the MLS season last month and admitted recently that he would love to return to Portman Road - although he was expecting to sign a new contract at Colorado.

However, he did not sign a new deal at the MLS club, which has led to speculation that he could rejoin the Tractor Boys on a free transfer. However, Ipswich boss Lambert revealed at his press conference today that the club will not be resigning him.

Lambert told the East Anglian Daily Times: "He's asked if he could come in and train and he's been working with the Under 23s. We gave him use of the training facilities, that's all."

Following their relegation from the Championship last season Ipswich have made a very promising start to life in League One.

The Tractor Boys are currently second in the league table, five points behind leaders Wycombe Wanderers - with two games in hand.

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The Verdict

Smith is a good player and he's got plenty of experience in English football, so he could have been a good signing for Ipswich.

He's more than capable of making an impact for the Tractor Boys in League One and some of the younger players in the squad would have been able to learn a great deal from his experience.

He was a fans' favourite throughout his time at Ipswich and you get the feeling that this is a signing that would have gone down very well with supporters at Portman Road.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.