£800k well spent: Ipswich Town struck gold with AFC Bournemouth transfer | OneFootball

Matt Holland was a bargain that helped Ipswich Town to the Premier League.

Matt Holland was a player that will forever be etched into the memories of a couple of certain clubs - particularly those supporters of an Ipswich Town persuasion.

The Bury-born midfielder started his career in the youth system at Arsenal, although he did not make the grade in North London due to being 'too small'. Brushing off that disappointment, he moved across the capital to sign with the West Ham United youth team, where he also failed to make the senior grade.

During his time in East London, though, he had loan spells with both Farnborough and AFC Bournemouth, and he impressed enough in his spell with the latter to earn a permanent transfer in the summer of 1995.

He continued to flourish on the South Coast, and was the club's Player of the Year during the 1995-96 season, whilst also picking up the captain's armband whilst at Dean Court - It was at Portman Road though where he really made his name.

Matt Holland's career was taken to the next level whilst at Ipswich Town

In the summer of 1997, naturally, clubs started to circle for Holland. Eventually, the ones who got their man were Ipswich Town, who forked out a fee of £800,000 for the Republic of Ireland international.

There was no need for an integration period for Holland in Suffolk, as he was thrown right in to make his debut in the Tractor Boys' first league game of that 1997-98 First Division season - a 0-0 draw at Queens Park Rangers.

And he was a key cog in that Portman Road midfield throughout the whole of his debut campaign, starting in all league and cup games as they finished fifth in the second tier of English football.

That set up a two-legged play-off with Holland's future employers, Charlton Athletic, which Ipswich would lose 2-0 on aggregate. He did win the Player of the Year award for the Suffolk outfit for that season as well - bittersweet though given the semi-final defeat.

Holland was club captain by this time, and he, for the next two seasons, kept up his incredible record of featuring in every single Town match. In his second season, they lost against Bolton Wanderers in the play-off semi-finals, as their frustrating record of losing at that stage again continued.

It was to be a case of third time lucky for Holland and Town though, as they secured promotion back to the top flight finally after three years away in the 1999-2000 season, thanks to beating Barnsley in the final at Wembley - it was an enthralling encounter with the Tykes that finished 4-2 in favour of the Tractor Boys, with the midfielder finally set to make his Premier League bow after rejections at Arsenal and West Ham.

Ipswich performed exceptionally well in their first season back in the top flight in 2000-01, as Holland captained the Tractor Boys to a fifth-placed finish, earning qualification to the UEFA Cup for the first time in 18 years and also their highest ever Premier League finish in the process.

Despite their excellent first season back, they were unable to maintain their lofty position at the upper end of English football, as they suffered relegation the season after, despite Holland also playing in every league and UEFA Cup game that campaign.

He turned down a £4m move to Aston Villa in the summer of 2002 and stayed to try to guide the Tractor Boys back to the top tier at the first time of asking, but they only came seventh in what was to be his final campaign at the club.

He won the club's Player of the Year award for the second time in that 2002/03 season, whilst he departed that summer having only missed one league match (due to international duty) in the six years that he was an Ipswich player - a quite remarkable record having avoided any injuries.

Ipswich Town really did hit the jackpot with Matt Holland

Despite being born in Greater Manchester, Holland represented the Republic of Ireland at senior international level due to his grandmother hailing from the country, scoring five goals in 49 games for the Boys in Green.

Most memorably, he scored the equaliser in Ireland's 1-1 draw with Cameroon in their opening game of the 2002 World Cup - with that tournament ending on a sour note for him personally though, as he missed in the shootout defeat to Spain in the Round of 16 in Daeju.

Upon leaving Ipswich, he joined then-Premier League side Charlton Athletic for just £750,000. He made 191 league appearances for the Addicks in total, scoring 13 goals too, as he continued to showcase his remarkable professionalism and dedication to the game during his six-year spell at The Valley.

Given his abilities, a fee of £750,000 was perhaps seen as low for a player of Holland's class, and at the age of 29 he was in the prime of his career when he made his move to south London.

Despite leaving Portman Road though, that affiliation with Ipswich has never been lost though for Holland, who has been a summariser on multiple media networks for the Tractor Boys, whilst also partaking in a role as a Director and Club Ambassador at the football club, further emphasising how his name is revered in the history books at Portman Road.