Dugout Watch: Ipswich Town
Ahead of Blues' match against Ipswich Town in the Sky Bet Championship, BCFC.com has charted the career of the opposition's manager.
‘If you can’t play, coach!’ A philosophy that fits the profile of Tractor Boys boss Kieran McKenna who leads his team to St. Andrew’s on Saturday 4 November, kick-off 3pm. With a continuous hip injury forcing an early retirement to his playing career at the age of 22, he has made good use of his football knowledge, becoming one of the land’s most exciting up-and-coming managers.
Despite the Northern Irishman yet to share a touchline with Wayne Rooney, both have previously spent significant time at Manchester United and upon the Manager's arrival in B9, McKenna was quick to welcome the Blues gaffer: “Wayne’s a legend of English football and did a very good job in difficult circumstances at Derby. It will be exciting to come up against one of his teams”.
Prior to claiming the Suffolk outfit’s hot seat, the 37-year-old spent time educating himself at Loughborough University, studying for a degree in Sports Science. Alongside this, McKenna was a youth coach at Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest. At the end of his first academic year, he spent the Summer of 2010 across the Atlantic, developing his trade with Canadian side Vancouver Whitecaps where he worked as a Guest Assistant Coach. Once graduated, he returned to Spurs having been hired as the Head of Academy Performance Analysis, with the North London club fending off rival proposals from Liverpool.
Mastering his craft coaching various age groups within Tottenham’s academy, the London-born coach was placed in charge of the Under-18s in 2015 and guided his team of teenagers to the semi-final of the FA Youth Cup, losing 5-4 to Chelsea over two legs.
A year after his appointment, the boyhood Manchester United fan left to take on the same role for the Red Devils in August 2016. In his second season at the club, his attacking style of play helped steer the Under-18s to the Premier League North title, a squad which included current Blues right-back, Ethan Laird. Ahead of the 2018/19 term, Jose Mourinho looked to recruit from within for a new coach following Rui Faria's departure. McKenna was promoted, alongside current Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick, but they would find themselves working under new management by the following December. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed as caretaker boss to replace Mourinho, and despite reports of an overhaul, the Norwegian elected to retain both McKenna and Carrick as part of his coaching team.
It was under the United treble-winner that McKenna began to receive significant attention for his coaching skills. Following 10 wins from 13 and a comeback victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League, Solskjaer was kept on permanently. Together, they completed back-to-back top-four finishes in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 Premier League campaigns, whilst also being runners-up in the UEFA Europa League at the end of that second season. McKenna opted to leave Old Trafford during the following campaign after the appointment of Interim Manager Ralf Rangnick, in favour of a move to the then Sky Bet League One side Ipswich Town who gave him his first opportunity as a number one.
As the Portman Road team languished in 11th place, McKenna’s arrival produced a quick upturn in form, with the former midfielder winning seven of his first 10 fixtures in charge, keeping a septet of clean sheets in the process. Ipswich enjoyed an 11-match unbeaten run between February and March 2022, a period in which a new club record of not conceding a goal was set, surpassing the previous best of 547 minutes. In McKenna’s first full season at the helm, he picked up Manager of the Month Awards for March and April 2023, whilst - amidst a 19-game unbeaten run - securing Town's promotion to the Championship following a 6-0 victory over Exeter City.
Ipswich have enjoyed an impressive start to 2023/24, chalking up 11 wins from their opening 13 outings to ensure they occupy the second automatic promotion spot on 34 points, with McKenna already collecting the Championship Manager of the Month award for September.
After moving to Northern Ireland at a young age, McKenna played for Enniskillen Town United and Ballinamallard United as a youth between 1997 and 2002. He made the move to Britain at the age of 16 to join Tottenham, where he stayed for seven years. During that time, he represented Northern Ireland at Under-19s and Under-21s level, making 12 appearances and scoring once for his country. Two years of rehabilitation, alongside two operations in an attempt to repair his ongoing hip injury, forced McKenna to hang up his boots in 2009.
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