James Norwood has praised Kieron Dyer following his surprise departure from Ipswich Town.

The former England international came through the ranks at Portman Road and enjoyed a successful few years before moving to Newcastle United. He then returned to the Tractor Boys later in his career and then in different capacities as a coach.

Dyer had been the U23 manager but he decided to step down today, something which few at the club saw coming.

And, it prompted an emotional message from Norwood on Twitter, who worked with the 43-year-old when he was frozen out under former boss Paul Cook and he clearly had huge respect for Dyer.

"A man who helped me at my footballing lowest. A man who understood me. A man that helped me, pushed for me. Having experienced him as a coach there’s no one better for a young pro coming through and is a huge loss. KD one of the good ones."

Norwood is back involved with the first-team under Kieran McKenna as Ipswich look to secure a top six finish in League One.

The verdict

This is a nice message from the striker who clearly has a lot of time for Dyer both as a coach and importantly as a person.

We all know that Norwood had a very tough time at Portman Road at different points, and Dyer was clearly someone who kept him going and focused during those periods.

As well as that, Dyer has been excellent at his job with the U23s in recent years, so it's fair to say that he seems to be a very popular figure who will be missed.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.