Leadbitter: I am ready for a new challenge

Ipswich Town midfielder Grant Leadbitter has turned down a new contract deal at Portman Road and will leave the club in the summer.

Leadbitter's contract was due to expire in the summer and he will now leave the club after rejecting the chance to sign another deal. The 26-year-old has already received interest from fellow Championship side Brighton but it is thought that Middlesbrough are the front runners in the chase for his signature. Leadbitter has made 116 appearances since he arrived at Portman Road from his boyhood club Sunderland in 2009. However, the former England under-21 international has decided to pursue his career elsewhere as he searches for a new challenge. "I have turned down the offer of a new deal at Ipswich and I will be leaving at the end of the season," Leadbitter told Sky Sports. "It was a really tough decision, but I feel I am ready for a new challenge at this stage of my career."