Reunion on the cards for Luongo

MASSIMO Luongo could be set for a Riverside reunion next season after being offered a new contract by newly-promoted Ipswich Town.

Luongo joined Boro last September as a free agent to bolster Chris Wilder’s midfield options.

But he failed to make a single first-team appearance before being released at the end of his short-term deal.

He went on trial at Ipswich and ultimately earned a contract there until the end of the season.

And unlike in his time on Teesside, the Australian was able to make a huge impact for the Tractor Boys as he made 15 appearances on the way to the club being promoted from League One.

He scored two goals and never tasted defeat in any of his games in an Ipswich shirt, with only four goals conceded and four points dropped when he was on the pitch.

And with Ipswich now planning for next season in the Championship, they confirmed in their retained list that the 30-year-old had been offered a new deal at Portman Road. There was no confirmation on whether or not he had signed the deal, however.

Speaking ahead of Ipswich’s penultimate game of the season against Exeter, that ultimately saw Luongo score in a 6-0 win to help seal promotion, the midfielder said of his future: “It’s a great club, of course [I want to stay]. I just want to get the job [promotion] done.

“We haven’t spoken about anything and I’m not searching for that because there hasn’t been time to think about it. We’ll think about it as the end.

“Without naming names I have been at a few clubs this year, either training or seeing if something can work out, but I quickly saw the quality here.

“We have a big squad so it is maybe difficult to manage all of them, but the fact everyone was trying and giving everything in tackles and with their running made me sure it was a good place.

“If you’re not in the squad it’s maybe hard to keep up the motivation but in January time they were all doing it and there was a really good vibe.

“Everything was set up well and things were free-flowing.

“It was clearly a good place to be.”