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Ipswich captain Luke Chambers aiming for Premier League

Ipswich Town captain Luke Chambers says he is determined to banish memories of play-off heartbreak by leading his side back to the Premier League after a 13-year absence.

Ipswich, who currently sit in fifth spot in the Championship, travel to Ewood Park on Saturday to take on Blackburn Rovers - a match which is live on Sky Sports 2 HD from 12pm - knowing that a point will be enough to secure their place in the end of season shoot-out.

Chambers, a leading figure in Ipswich's surge towards the top-six, knows all about the Championship play-offs, having tasted defeated twice at the semi-final stage in 2010 and 2011 during his time with Nottingham Forest.

With that in mind, the centre-back insists that he is ready to do his utmost to ensure this season ends in joy rather than despair once more.

"For me, it would make it extra special, having been in the Championship play-offs twice with Forest and suffered the devastation of not making it to the Premier League. It would make it all the sweeter for me to do it this time around," the defender told Sky Sports.

"It is definitely one of the worst pains I have felt in my career, losing out in the play-offs. You work all season long, knowing that you are at the right end of the table. But all of that can end on just one night. It is hugely frustrating, as you do not have any real closure to the season and it is something I do not want to experience again.

"A lot of things change if you lose out in the play-offs. When I was at Forest, the gaffer left that summer, along with a lot of players. We had a hell of lot of changes. It can sometimes be the end of a group and a period in your career. You just never know what is going to happen beyond the play-offs.

"But we have to take care of our game on Saturday and hopefully we will be where we want to be after that. I have been down here nearly three seasons now and enjoyed every minute. It would mean everything to me to have the chance to lead the boys out into the play-offs and hopefully beyond that into the top-flight."

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Ipswich tightened their grip on a Championship play-off place after beating Nottingham Forest 2-1

Promotion hat-trick

Although Chambers has never secured promotion via the play-offs during his career, he has previously enjoyed two automatic promotion winning campaigns in League One and Two, one with Northampton Town and the other with Forest.

And the 29-year-old believes the opportunity to complete a hat-trick of Football League promotions for himself must be grasped sooner rather than later.

"It would be beyond a dream come true. Not many players get promotion from all three leagues and that is the one I have been missing through my career," he added.

"I am not getting any younger, I am a senior lad in the dressing room now, so it would mean everything to me to get promoted to the Premier League at this stage in my career.

"But we have still got a job to do at Blackburn, and we are the only ones who can really lose out because we are in the strongest position.

"Looking at the other fixtures elsewhere, I cannot see many of our rivals dropping points. So we know we have to go up to Blackburn and get a result. All of our rivals are at home, so the pressure will be on us. But we have dealt with the pressure and expectation very well all season, so I am confident."

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Turnaround

Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy has completed a sensational turnaround in fortunes at Portman Road since taking charge in November 2012, when the club were rooted at the foot of the Championship with just seven points from their opening 13 matches.

But within just two-and-a-half years, the former Republic of Ireland manager has transformed the relegation threatened Suffolk club into serious contenders for promotion back to the top-flight.

With Ipswich aiming to regain their place amongst the English elite for the first since 2002, Chambers revealed his high admiration for McCarthy.

"I was here when Mick first came in as I had signed in that summer. We had played 13 games and we were in trouble. I do not know if he was drunk when the chairman asked him to come and take over, but he performed absolute miracles to keep us up that season," Chambers said.

"Since then Mick has slowly built the squad and made us stronger. You can tell why he has had such success elsewhere, in getting Sunderland and Wolves promoted. Tactically he is very good, he knows what brings success.

"He has got to be in the top one of all the managers in the Championship."

Luke Chambers of Ipswich heads the ball during the FA Cup third round replay match between Ipswich Town and Southampton
Image: Chambers has been a key figure for Ipswich this season

Fan favourite

Since signing for Ipswich on a free transfer from Forest in July 2012, Chambers has developed a sensational rapport with the club's supporters, who regularly stay behind to watch his trademark fist pump celebration following victory.

"It was after Mick's first game, when we won away at Birmingham that I first did it. It was a massive relief for the lads to get the season going again," he said.

"I just gave it one after we beat them and from that moment on, if we won, the fans would be making a bit of a roar behind the goal, and I just thought 'they are baying for something', so have this."

When asked about the thought of ending his season with a fist pump at Wembley, Chambers added: "I cannot think that far ahead, but if I did it, it would probably dislocate my shoulder."

Watch Blackburn v Ipswich live on Sky Sports 2 HD from 12pm on Saturday

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