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Kieran McKenna: Why Ipswich manager is England's most-coveted coach
Meet England's most coveted coach, the man endorsed by Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and one who can take his pick from Chelsea, Manchester United and Brighton this summer.
Kieran McKenna has enjoyed niche renown for years, but is about to be embedded in the British sporting consciousness. And if the 38-year-old from Fermanagh justifies the hype, he will be a household name in next to no time.
McKenna's services have quickly become so sought after that all three of his main suitors know he could spurn them in favour of a rival. So while Chelsea, United and Brighton will all want to grill McKenna on what exactly he can do for them, all three will need to sell themselves in return.
Two-and-a-half years ago, McKenna had never managed a senior club. Then he landed at Ipswich and awoke a sleeping giant. Kick-starting the Tractor Boys with a 10-game winning streak in League One when taking the helm in late December 2021, the Suffolk club's supporters must have felt all their Christmases had come at once.
McKenna eased his feet under the Portman Road table in the second half of that campaign, revamped the entire set-up, then spurred them on to promotion in his first full season. When everyone in Ipswich was just after a fight for Championship survival a year later, McKenna took them up again.
Young loan forward Omari Hutchinson struck the goal that sealed Ipswich's Premier League promotion, slotting home in a 2-0 win over Huddersfield at a sun-dappled Portman Road on May 4. If McKenna takes the Chelsea job, he will enjoy a rapid reunion with Hutchinson at the 20-year-old's parent club.
Ipswich's jubilant fans flooded the pitch, letting off royal blue smoke bombs when that win was sealed, exulting in their second-place finish. Fans who could not wangle tickets marched from the town's bars to congregate outside the stadium just to soak up the atmosphere as Ipswich sealed their first Premier League stint in 22 years.
Consecutive promotions from two of the toughest middle-tier leagues in Europe have earned McKenna this year's League Managers' Association manager of the year award, ahead Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta.
Not yet 40, and with almost two decades of coaching under his belt, McKenna is the real deal
This is a manager who has proved he can achieve more with less, pulling off success against the odds, amid tight budgets and modest resources.
Sophisticated tactics, astute loan deals and smart employment of technology have paid off. Now McKenna will be managing in the top flight next season, whether with Ipswich or otherwise.
If he steps up to a bigger club, those who know him best are adamant he will cope with the sizeable jump in standards, expectations and challenges.
McKenna this week received his LMA award from United great Ferguson, in a picture-perfect moment that could not prove more apt.
At the ripe old age of 30, McKenna had already been coaching for eight years when he secured a job at United, coaching their Under-18s. Forced to retire at 22 due to a hip problem, he studied Sports Science at Loughborough University. Landing at United after a string of youth coaching gigs, he rose steadily through the ranks.
And when Mourinho needed a new assistant to replace Rui Faria ahead of the 2018-19 season, McKenna was the Special One's man. Even when Mourinho was dismissed later that season, Solskjaer arrived, ran the rule over the backroom staff and kept McKenna on.
Not yet 40, and with almost two decades of coaching under his belt, some of English football's smartest analysts believe McKenna can turn his one-hit wonder stint at Ipswich into a classic career back catalogue.
Brighton would represent the stepping-stone option, where McKenna's progressive style would slot straight into chairman Tony Bloom's regime; United would tug the heartstrings of a boyhood fan; and Chelsea, well, that might be the biggest challenge of the lot. Sources close to McKenna have hinted that he is intrigued by not just the scale of the task but also the scope for development at Stamford Bridge.
Three weeks ago, McKenna was sweating on one last promotion push. Now he can write his own top-flight ticket.
