The curly-haired midfielder was brought in by Paul Jewell, who had just replaced Roy Keane after his ill-fated spell in charge.
Paul Jewell looks on from the touchline as player Jimmy Bullard jokes behind him. (Image: PA)
Bullard reunited with his old Wigan boss after a frustrating spell with the Tigers and the Blues offered him a new lease of life in Suffolk.
His loan move proved fruitful for both parties as he injected some spark into a struggling side and made an impact straight away, scoring on his debut with a stunning 30-yard volley in a 2-1 win at Derby County.
The charismatic playmaker became a instant hit, with a further two goals in a masterclass at Cardiff, scoring two long-range crackers to secure a 2-0 win.
Jimmy Bullard is mobbed by his Ipswich Town team-mates after scoring at Cardiff. (Image: NQ)
He almost single-handedly dragged Ipswich away from the relegation zone and scored further goals against Scunthorpe United and Norwich City.
Despite only playing 16 games, he was named Supporters’ Player of the Year after his scintillating end-of-season loan spell.
So, in the summer of 2011, the big question on Ipswich fans’ lips was ‘will Bullard return?’
It was a long-running saga which eventually saw him sign for Town on a permanent deal after Hull terminated his lucrative contract following an alleged breach of club discipline on a pre-season trip to Slovenia.
Jimmy Bullard meets young fans wearing replica wigs that were on sale at Planet Blue. (Image: NQ)
Should that have offered us some warning signs of what was to come?
But first came Jimmy-mania, with curly blond wigs quickly becoming the biggest seller in the club shop as his permanent signing was heralded by Town fans, your writer included at the time – hindsight is a wonderful thing though!
And it started well for the loveable rogue, with his first game back seeing the Blues secure a comeback home win over Leeds, after conceding 12 goals in back-to-back matches against newly-promoted duo Southampton and Peterborough.
Bullard pulled the strings at the base of an experienced diamond midfield system, including Lee Bowyer and Keith Andrews.
Jimmy Bullard fires in a free-kick effort. (Image: NQ)
The Blues soon went on a impressive six-game unbeaten run, including a late victory at West Ham, before it all went pear shaped with seven straight defeats to burst that positive bubble.
His rapid slide from hero to zero started on a cold November Tuesday night in Burnley, with Jewell labelling his side as ‘gutless’ and ‘spineless’ following a limp 4-0 defeat, with Bullard among the worst offenders at Turf Moor.
He was then restricted to a bit-part role from the bench and his love affair with the Blues supporters became sour when he and team-mate Michael Chopra turned up late for training after a night out in Newcastle.
Jimmy Bullard, Michael Chopra and Aaron Cresswell meeting Ipswich Town fans. (Image: NQ)
Chopra was fined two weeks’ wages, but Bullard, controversially, was instead told to stay away from the club for a fortnight.
Just 14 minutes of first team action followed, and no doubt it was a disappointing end to his time at the club after such excitement when he signed on a permanent basis.
I can imagine most fans have mixed emotions on Bullard’s spell at the club, hardly a fairy-tale ending for both parties after such an impressive loan spell.
Jimmy Bullard had a disappointing end to his Ipswich Town spell. (Image: NQ)
After leaving Portman Road he went on to have a short spell at MK Dons but called time on his playing career due to ongoing problems with his knee.
Bullard has dipped his fingers in several pies since, becoming a TV personality after appearing in ITV’s hit reality series ‘I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here’ in 2014 and hosting Soccer AM for a number of years.
He also had brief spell in management at non-league side Leatherhead and now works on number of different projects, including his love of fishing.
Let us know your thoughts on Jimmy Bullard’s spell in the comments below!