Sam Morsy’s Ipswich Town send-off should delight Chesterfield faithful | OneFootball

Janoi Donacien has put pen to paper on a deal at Chesterfield, and his former Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy was full of praise for the 31-year-old.

With 13 senior players currently out injured, Paul Cook needed to bolster his squad this January to help the Spireites get back on track with their goal of reaching the League Two play-offs.

After 13 days without a senior game, the Chesterfield boss turned his attention to the transfer market and recently announced the double signing of Aribim Pepple on loan from Championship club Luton Town, and versatile defender Janoi Donacien, who was a free agent.

The 31-year-old, who was most recently at Ipswich Town, has put pen to paper on a short-term deal in Derbyshire until the end of the season and has worked with Cook at the Tractor Boys in 2021.

Ipswich captain Sam Morsy, who lifted the League Two title with Cook’s Chesterfield in 2014, took to X and posted a heartfelt goodbye to the defender, who had been with the club since 2018.

The post should do nothing but encourage Spireites fans, because if Morsy’s words are anything to go by, they’re not just gaining an excellent footballer, they’re gaining a great person too.

Donacien proved at Ipswich why his high amounts of praise should be warranted

The St Lucian international leaves Suffolk a fan favourite after six years of service and 127 appearances, after joining from Accrington Stanley in the summer of 2018.

The former League Two champion enjoyed his most fruitful spell at the Tractor Boys under Cook in 2021, where he made 43 appearances in the 2021-22 season, making five assists.

He was also first choice right-back when Ipswich earned promotion out of the third tier in 2022-23, making 38 appearances as the Tractor Boys earned 98 points, losing just four games all season under Kieran McKenna.

Even though he would never find the back of the net for Ipswich, his link-up down the right-hand side with Wes Burns made for one of the most frightening partnerships in the EFL, and he was unquestionably an integral part in Ipswich’s fairytale rise from League One to the Premier League.

Twice he was part of a defence that set club records for most minutes without conceding a goal, firstly as a right-sided centre-back, and he would repeat the same feat a year later, setting a record of nine successive clean sheets, totaling 949 minutes without conceding, this time as a right-back in a back four.

Donacien has been unlucky with injuries in recent years, as he had to have groin surgery in November 2023, which ruled him out of their promotion-winning campaign after making just three appearances, and even though Donacien’s contract expired at the end of the campaign, he was allowed to continue his recovery at Portman Road.

It’s a testament to how much of a beloved character the defender was in Suffolk, that the Tractor Boys posted a farewell video for Donacien earlier this month, a whole six months after his contract had expired with the club, with replies full of Ipswich fans thanking him for his services to the club.

Donacien’s versatility could help Chesterfield in their play-off push

Donacien could fit in a number of places at Chesterfield, but the departure of loanee right-back Devan Tanton suggests that may be his best option, with Ryheem Sheckleford the only natural, fully fit right-back at the club.

The former Aston Villa youngster has made 133 career appearances at right-back, and that’s where he featured in his three Championship appearances last campaign.

A move to centre-back is also an option for the 31-year-old, which could allow Tom Naylor to move back into a more familiar midfield role, following long-term injuries to centre-backs Chey Dunkley, Tyrone Williams and Ash Palmer.

Donacien also has several games at left-back under his belt too, and could step into the position, with first-choice option Lewis Gordon having missed nearly a month of football after he was forced off against AFC Wimbledon in December.

The move doesn’t come without risks, however, as with his recent injury issues, Donacien has not featured in a competitive fixture since August 2023, which strikes up some similarities to the John Fleck acquisition, and the 33-year-old has failed to shake off his injury woes so far this season.

At his best, there is no doubt that Chesterfield are signing one of the top defenders in the league, but after a year on the shelf, only time will tell whether Cook pulls off one of the deals of the window or the deal for an injury-stricken former star.

Even so, Morsy's message has to excite those of a Spireites persuasion.