Manchester United have sent a congratulatory message to former coach Kieran McKenna after he led Ipswich Town to promotion to the Premier League.
McKenna started as an academy coach at United after joining from a similar role at Tottenham in 2016. He was promoted to the first-team staff by Jose Mourinho, going on to become a senior adviser to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
While he was initially retained by Solskjaer's replacement Ralf Rangnick, McKenna was quickly appointed as Ipswich boss. He led them to promotion from League One in his first full campaign in charge.
And in a stunning show of his managerial talent, he has led the Tractor Boys to another promotion. A win over Huddersfield on Saturday ensured they will play in the top-flight next season having finished second in the Championship.
In their first season back in the second tier, McKenna's men ended up with 96 points, finishing ahead of the much-fancied Leeds and Southampton. United were quick to congratulate their former coach, posting a lengthy news story on their website celebrating his achievement.
"Masterminding back-to-back promotions with Ipswich as a manager represents a remarkable achievement for McKenna, whose squad this season includes ex-Reds defender Axel Tuanzebe and United loanee Brandon Williams, while our former coach Martyn Pert and goalkeeper Lee Grant are among the Northern Irishman's backroom staff," the story read.
"With survival the main aim this season, Ipswich’s exploits have been truly astonishing. They have seen McKenna pick up the Championship Manager of the Season award, as well as two monthly accolades during the campaign.
"The Reds have faced Ipswich on 57 previous occasions, winning 29 and drawing nine, with the most recent being a 3-0 League Cup triumph in 2015. United fans will have an eager eye on the fixture list for the 2024/25 campaign to see when we will be reunited with McKenna and Ipswich.
"We won’t have long to wait, with the schedule due to be released at 09:00 BST on Tuesday 18 June. Congratulations to Kieran and Ipswich Town on their well-deserved promotion, we look forward to seeing you next season!"
McKenna was left overwhelmed by Ipswich's achievement, hailing his players for reaching the top-flight. He admitted he was left feeling incredibly proud and revealed he will be celebrating for several days.
“It means a lot, mostly seeing how much it means to everyone - the players, the supporters. To be one of the leaders in that is absolutely massive so it’s a wonderful day, a very, very proud one for everyone involved," he told Sky Sports.
“We’ve done it through an incredible amount of effort and sacrifice, support from a lot of people and it’s a wonderful achievement. I’m sure it will sink in in a couple of days. It’s going to be a great challenge, of course a lot of work to do in the football club. For me on a personal level, it’s going to be a great challenge and one I’m looking forward to.”
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