Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has agreed a new four-year contract to stay at Portman Road, ending speculation about his future.
McKenna has guided Ipswich to back-to-back promotions since taking over in December 2021, securing a place for the club in the Premier League for the first time since 2002.
The new deal for the 38-year-old comes after media had linked him to vacancies at both Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea, along with Manchester United.
We are delighted to announce that Manager Kieran McKenna has signed a new long-term contract at Portman Road.
— I(P)SWICH TOWN (@IpswichTown) May 30, 2024
“I am extremely proud to have signed a new contract with the club," McKenna told the club's official website.
“We have enjoyed incredible success together over the last two seasons and I’m excited to have the opportunity and responsibility of leading this fantastic club into its first season in the Premier League in 22 years.
“I am so happy to have committed my future to taking the next step with Ipswich Town and am really excited for what's ahead as we continue this journey together.”
Mark Ashton, Ipswich's CEO, said: “We are delighted Kieran has further committed his future to the Club.
“Success brings its own challenges and there has been considerable speculation in recent weeks, but Kieran and I have continued to communicate throughout, often several times a day, as we plan for the club’s first Premier League season in a generation.
“For Kieran to have signed a new contract is a significant boost, heading into such an important campaign, as we continue the hard work in preparation for the coming season.”
McKenna's career so far
McKenna was a young midfielder at Tottenham Hotspur but was forced to retire at the age of 22 by a hip injury before he was able to make his first-team debut.
He successfully moved into coaching, holding academy roles at Spurs and Man Utd before becoming part of the first-team coaching staff at Old Trafford under Jose Mourinho and Ralf Rangnick. Ipswich was where he took up his first managerial role.
In his first full season in charge, McKenna guided Ipswich to a second-placed finish in League One to earn promotion to the Championship, before amassing 96 points this season to secure the club's top-flight return.
McKenna and his Ipswich squad will find out their opening Premier League match when the 2024/25 fixtures are released at 09:00 BST on Tuesday 18 June. The season will start on 17 August.
