Sito staying at Portman Road

Last updated : 07 July 2006 By Russell Claydon
The Spanish defender moved to Town on a free transfer a year ago and after a successful start, a few costly mistakes led to an increasing amount of time on the sidelines towards the end of 2005/2006, with departed manager Joe Royle putting him on the transfer list before the end of the season.

New manager, Jim Magilton has however confirmed that the defender who was sent-off in last seasons Portman Road East Anglian Derby is in his plans and has been removed from the transfer list and will be given a fresh start.

Magilton told the EADT: “I have taken Sito off the list. He has come back in outstanding physical shape, probably the best of all the players and has shown a tremendous attitude.

“It often takes foreign players time to settle in but he has done so very quickly and did well last season. He is a likeable guy who is popular and deserves his chance.

“He needs to eradicate the mistakes in his game and that is what we are intending to do.”

The first-teams per-season campaign gets underway this weekend with a trip to Boston United's York Street and Jim, who has three trialists training with the squad has promised to give Colin Healey a 45 minute run-out. The other trialists are French midifielder Alexis Bertis and former Nottingham Forest man, Eugen Bopp.

The Town boss has ruled out a move for Port Vale's Chris Burchill at present but will be talking to out-of-contract Saints midfield man Matt Oakley, as reported by ITFM on Thursday, but the players Premiership wage demands are likely to be out of Town's budget.