Kieran McKenna has resigned as Ipswich Town manager, just weeks after guiding the club back to the Premier League – a decision he said was driven by a desire to take a break from the game and spend more time with his family.
The 40-year-old took charge of the Tractor Boys in December 2021, when they were labouring in League One. Over four seasons he delivered three promotions, culminating in a runners-up finish in the Championship in May that secured a place in the top flight for 2026-27.
“Kieran McKenna resigns as Ipswich manager weeks before their Premier League return, citing family reasons.”
“I feel this is the right time for me to step aside,” McKenna said. “I do so with great pride at the incredible progress we have made and with huge hope and optimism for the future of the club.” He added that after giving so much to the role over the past five seasons, he looked forward to dedicating time to his family.
McKenna left a first-team coaching position at Manchester United to take the Ipswich job. In 2024, after back-to-back promotions ended a 22-year Premier League absence, he beat Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta to the League Managers Association’s manager of the year award. He had two years remaining on a four-year contract signed that same year, having won 105 of his 222 games in charge.
Ipswich chairman Mark Ashton said he was “gutted” to lose the manager. “Achieving three promotions in four seasons, in what is your first role as a manager, is an achievement which means Kieran is now rightly discussed in the same breath as the legends of this club,” Ashton said. “The mark he, his staff and his players have made on Ipswich Town and its community will live forever. It has captured a generation.”
Attention now turns to McKenna’s successor. Former Wolves head coach Gary O’Neil – currently managing Strasbourg after being appointed in January – is one contender. The 43-year-old spent two years as a player at Ipswich’s big rivals Norwich City but has admirers at Portman Road. The club remain open-minded about a replacement, with O’Neil in the frame.