JON WALTERS HAS dropped down a division in a bid to play regular first-team football again after re-joining Championship outfit Ipswich Town on a short-term loan deal.

The Ireland striker had fallen down the pecking order at Burnley after injuries plagued his time at Turf Moor, and his move to Portman Road is good news for Martin O’Neill ahead of the inaugural Uefa Nations League.

Walters has returned to Ipswich on a deal until January 2019 for his second stint with the club having spent three years there before leaving for Stoke City in 2010. 

The 34-year-old scored 30 league goals in 136 appearances for Ipswich, and will hope for a consistent run of games in the Championship under new manager Paul Hurst.

After seven seasons at Stoke, Walters joined Burnley last summer but made only a handful of appearances for Sean Dyche’s side, as he was forced to undergo keyhole surgery to address a knee cartilage problem last January.

Walters, who was this week named in O’Neill’s squad for the upcoming games against Wales and Poland, has won 53 caps for the Boys in Green. 

He will wear the number 39 shirt for Ipswich, who are currently bottom of the Championship having failed to register a win from their first five league outings.

Walters’ first appearance could come in Sunday’s derby against Norwich City.

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