Just weeks after guiding Ipswich Town back to the Premier League, Kieran McKenna has resigned as manager, abruptly ending a spell that saw the club rise from League One to the top flight in four seasons. The 40-year-old, who took charge in December 2021 when Ipswich were labouring in the third tier, led them to three promotions in four campaigns, culminating in a runners-up finish in the Championship in May. They are set to play among the elite in 2026-27.
McKenna said his decision was driven by a desire to take a break from the game and spend more time with his family. “I feel this is the right time for me to step aside,” he 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. After giving so much to the role over the previous five seasons, I now look forward to taking a break from management and dedicating some time to my family, who have been with me every step of my career so far.”
“Kieran McKenna resigns as Ipswich Town manager weeks after securing Premier League promotion; Gary O'Neil a contender.”
The announcement came as a shock to supporters, not least because McKenna had two years remaining on the four-year deal he signed in 2024. His achievements at Portman Road were extraordinary: 105 wins from 222 games in charge, a League Managers’ Association manager of the year award in 2024 after back-to-back promotions ended the club’s 22-year Premier League exile, and a place in the club’s history secured.
Chairman Mark Ashton said he was “gutted” to lose the highly regarded 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.”
Born in London and raised in Northern Ireland, McKenna left a first-team coaching position at Manchester United to take the Ipswich job. His departure has already reignited speculation over a successor. Former Wolves head coach Gary O’Neil, currently manager of Strasbourg after being appointed in January, is one contender. The 43-year-old spent two years as a player with Ipswich’s big rivals Norwich City, but the club remain open-minded about who will take over.
McKenna had recently been linked with the Fulham job after Marco Silva’s departure, but insisted his exit was about stepping away, not stepping up. For now, Ipswich must begin the search for a new manager just as they prepare for a Premier League campaign – a task made all the harder by the departure of the man who took them there.