Kieran McKenna has signed a new four-year deal to remain in charge of Ipswich Town after overseeing the Suffolk club’s incredible rise to the Premier League.
The 38-year-old’s new deal at Portman Road comes a week after it appeared likely he would reject any new offer from the club.
He had been linked with the vacancy at Brighton and was shortlisted by Chelsea as Mauricio Pochettino’s replacement, but dropped out of the race for the Stamford Bridge job on Sunday.
“I am extremely proud to have signed a new contract with the club,” McKenna told Ipswich Town’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.”
Back-to-back automatic promotions, which have seen Ipswich climb from League One back to the Premier League for the first time since 2002, made the former Manchester United assistant first-team coach one of the highest-rated and most sought-after managers in the English game.
Getting the Tractor Boys promoted from the Championship, and finishing just one point behind title winners Leicester, earned McKenna the League Managers Association’s manager of the year award.
He finished ahead of of Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, who oversaw an English record fourth successive top-flight title, and Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta for the award.
With a squad largely based on the one that won promotion from the third tier in 2022-23, McKenna oversaw a second-placed finish in the Championship.
They were the division’s top scorers with 92 goals, and finished above both Leeds United and Southampton – two clubs with vastly superior budgets after being relegated from the Premier League a season earlier.
