Finidi George has revealed that Arsenal star and Nigerian team-mate Nwankwo Kanu helped him decide to join Ipswich Town.

The winger was due at Portman Road today (Thursday) to complete his £3m transfer from Real Mallorca.

And he said: "Nwankwo told me if I got a good offer from a Premiership club I shouldn't think twice.

"I had an offer from Chelsea two seasons ago when I was at Real Betis but it didn't go through. I've always been keen to play in the Premiership.

"I've turned my back on the Champions League with Mallorca for a new and ambitious project.

"Ipswich are a serious team. George Burley has told me what he expects and I hope I won't let him down."

Town are in the process of applying for a work permit for George, who passed a medical and agreed personal terms last week.

Burley has revealed he wants to bring another "major signing" to Portman Road before the start of the new campaign.

The Town boss has no bids in at the moment but has lined up a weekend scouting trip to the Continent.

Ipswich play Bray Wanderers tonight (Thursday) in the second match of their tour of Ireland. Town beat Dublin City 5-0 on Tuesday thanks to a hat-trick by Richard Naylor plus goals from Jermaine Wright and Marcus Stewart.

Birthday boy Pablo Counago, 22 today, has recovered from a knee injury while Titus Bramble has shrugged off a niggling thigh problem.

Jamie Clapham is nursing a slight hamstring pull and could miss out.

Meanwhile, Town's first match of the season, away to Sunderland next Saturday, is to be one of three featured matches on ITV's The Premiership.

The others to be covered on the highlights package are Liverpool v West Ham and Middlesbrough v Arsenal.

Sean Friars, released by Ipswich at the end of last season, has signed for Irish outfit Newry Town.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.