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Town Confirm Jeffers Back as First-Team Coach
Wednesday, 12th May 2021 12:27

Town have confirmed former loan striker Franny Jeffers’s return to Portman Road as a first-team coach.

TWTD revealed yesterday that Jeffers had been at Playford Road for the previous two days finalising his move to the Blues having previously been Everton’s U23s coach.

“It’s a great opportunity for me and one I couldn’t turn down,” Jeffers told the club site. “I’m an Evertonian so it was a difficult decision to leave but Ipswich is a massive club and I’m relishing the chance to help the club get back to where it should be.

“Obviously I was here as a player on loan and I loved my time here. I’ve seen some familiar faces around the place and it’s brought back some great memories. I should have stayed to be honest.

“The fans took to me and I took to them and now I’ve got another opportunity to be involved at this fantastic club.

“I’ve been a big admirer of Paul Cook and his work for many years and now to be part of his backroom team is very exciting and I can't wait to get going.”

Jeffers, 40, had a successful loan spell with the Blues between March and May 2007, scoring four times in seven starts and two sub appearances.

The former striker came through the ranks at hometown club Everton before moving to Arsenal for £8 million in June 2001.

While at Highbury he won one full England cap and scored before returning to Goodison Park on loan.

Spells with Charlton, Rangers (loan) and Blackburn followed before he moved to the Blues for his loan spell.

After his time with Town, Jeffers played at Sheffield Wednesday, in Australia with Newcastle Jets in two spells, Motherwell, Floriana in Malta and finally Accrington Stanley.

Having hung up his boots, Jeffers started voluntarily working at Everton's academy before formally joining the staff in October 2016. He has been their U23s coach since 2018.

Off the field, Jeffers has had a troubled last couple of years. In October 2019 he was fined after being convicted of sending menacing messages to his now-former wife following the breakdown of their relationship.

In August last year he was fined £500 and banned from driving for 17 months after refusing to take a roadside breath test.

Town boss Cook has various coaching positions to be filled over the summer among them his assistant, with his Chesterfield, Portsmouth and Wigan deputy Leam Richardson having been named the permanent boss of the Latics.

Contenders for that role include current U23s coach Kieron Dyer, former Blues forward Noel Hunt and ex-defender John McGreal, although the latter seems less likely as he is believed to be keen to manage a club of his own.

Cook is also looking for another a goalkeeper-coach to replace Jimmy Walker.

We understand Cook's Wigan kitman Ian Craney has also been at Playford Road over the last couple of days and is set to join his backroom team.


Photo: ITFC



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RobITFC added 12:29 - May 12
Good coach for our strikers , welcome back.
13

superblues9 added 12:30 - May 12
Give him a playing contract can't be any worse than who we have 🤣
1

Cakeman added 12:30 - May 12
Excellent news. The high quality staff building off the field continues.
I really enjoyed seeing Francis Jeffers when he was with us. It's a pity he's not a few years younger because he would have led our front line brilliantly.
7

RegencyBlue added 12:37 - May 12
We've just persuaded a coach at a Premiership team, albeit at U23 level, to drop down to the Third Division.

I think that says something about the project underway here!
26

ImAbeliever added 12:37 - May 12
Cakeman…great to watch him when he was here, short stay but big impact. Good news.
4

BlueBlood90 added 12:48 - May 12
Hopefully his troublesome past couple of years are behind him now and a change of scenery might do him good.

Obviously he has great footballing pedigree so hoping he'll be a good appointment for us.
3

OwainG1992 added 13:02 - May 12
I wanted us to sign him permanently so badly back in the day.
Similar to when we had DJ Campbell on loan.
Best of luck to the "Fox in the box".
2

istanblue added 13:12 - May 12
Is Cook building a coaching team of scousers?
-4

Bergholt_Blue added 13:21 - May 12
He looks absolutely thrilled to be here
0

90z added 13:23 - May 12
Who cares if they're all scousers. If they're good at their jobs i don't care where they are from!
Everton have produced some good players over the years through their academy good to see this guy on board.
5

johnwarksshorts added 13:25 - May 12
Gonna have more staff than players at this rate!
3

Roo added 13:34 - May 12
First job is to turn Drinan into a 20 goal a season striker feared across the whole of Europe.... on a serious note this is good news - I am happy to welcome all the new additions as we could not get much worse so onward and upward ! COYB
2

OwainG1992 added 13:34 - May 12
Can people stop bloody moaning about Scousers being here.
Not sure if anybody has noticed but Liverpool and Everton have quite the history themselves.
They have produced some fine players and coaches.
Let's be positive for crying out loud.
12

casanovacrow added 13:39 - May 12
What's his coaching record like?
0

Marcus added 13:40 - May 12
@istanblue - calm down!
2

Marcus added 13:41 - May 12
A little concerned by this. Multiple scousers in the changing room and all the other players pretending to understand what's being said.
-9

1RWR added 13:49 - May 12
He'll need a taxi twice a day.....hope he doesn't live too far away when he gets settled.
Norwood can give him a lift in.......just for a few weeks! 😂😂😂😂😂😂
2

TimmyH added 14:21 - May 12
All the best Franny...as mentioned hopefully he'll get to work on our strikers that other than Norwood have been firing blanks!
1

greenkingtone added 14:39 - May 12
Welcome Franny!
1

Colin_Viljoen added 14:42 - May 12

1

arc added 14:49 - May 12
Quick question: does anyone know what's happened to Terry Butcher with all these comings and goings? Did I miss an announcement about him?
1

dyersdream added 14:52 - May 12
Still better now than drinan and jackson
1

spanishblue added 15:14 - May 12
Liverpool & Everton strikers, midfielders Fowler ,StJohn, Sharp Big fat Joe,did lineker play for Everton,
Jeffers,Barkley to say nothing of the defenders and mangers ouch Souness, little Kevin Keegan oh yer and Johnnie Wark record euro scorer for how many years, I could go on, Dalglish,Rush,The Beatles &the Great Stan Boardman, Gerry Marsden what more do you need
1

Kesblue66 added 15:26 - May 12
There will soon be more chiefs then indians
0

mojo added 15:40 - May 12
So has he effectively replaced Matt Gill then? Have I got that right? Where does this leave Gary Roberts, as a second first team coach?
1


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