Ex-Chelsea trainee Sam Parkin is a forward with a prolific goalscoring record, and choose Kenilworth Road as the place to further his career in August 2006 despite strong interest from other Championship clubs. Unfortunately, Sam's career at Kenilworth Road took a while to get going after a serious injury meant he played only eight games under former boss Mike Newell. After signing for League One side Swindon Town in August 2002, Parkin set the Football League world alight, scoring 67 league goals in 120 appearances. Naturally, his goalscoring talents captured the attention of the bigger clubs, and Parkin signed for Ipswich Town in the summer of 2005 for £550,000. Unfortunately, a broken ankle forced him to miss much of his time at Portman Road, although he still managed to score five goals in 17 Championship appearances during his first season. Following Joe Royle's departure at the end of last season, the new Blues boss Jim Magilton made it clear that Parkin would not get regular football at Portman Road, leaving the player to weigh up his options. After fees were agreed with both Preston and Luton, 25-year-old Parkin had a straight choice of two Championship clubs, but signed a three-year deal at Kenilworth Road, costing the club £340,000. Coincidentally, Parkin arrived at the club to replace outgoing Steve Howard for the second time in his career, having previously played for Northampton on-loan after they sold Howard to Luton in 2001.