GEORGE EDMUNDSON admits the time was right for him to leave Rangers after clinching a move to Ipswich Town.

The defender has agreed a four-year deal with the League One outfit and returns to England after two seasons in Glasgow under Steven Gerrard's guidance.

Edmundson spent the second half of last term on loan at Derby after dropping down the Ibrox pecking order following his Covid rules breach and Scottish FA suspension.

Boss Gerrard will look to offload more of his fringe players in the coming weeks as he finalises his squad for Rangers' Premiership title defence and another European campaign in the coming months.

And Edmundson is now embarking on a fresh challenge south of the border as he looks to help the Tractor Boys win promotion back to the Championship this season.

“I am 23 now," Edmundson told ITFC.co.uk. "I need to play football and the opportunity came along.

“With a manager like Paul Cook, I thought it was an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down.

“It was massive [moving to Rangers]. Obviously with Gerrard as the manager there, I thought it was an opportunity that I had to go for. But I feel like it was the right time to leave and come to Ipswich.

“It was tough [at Derby last season]. It was at the wrong end of the table but it was a good learning curve for me, a different situation from Rangers that Derby were in. It was good to help them survive in the Championship.

“At such a young age, it is good to get those experiences in early. It is only going to do the world of good so hopefully I can take the lessons I have learned and show the qualities here.

“I spoke to the gaffer about the project here and it really excited me. That is one of the reasons why I came.

“The gaffer was a massive pull. It is a huge club so hopefully we can get them back where we belong.”