The young Northern Irishman achieved a sensational promotion with Tractor Drivers: from League 1 to the Premier League in two years
Ipswich officially announced the extension of the contract with the head coach Kieran McKenna until 2028. The previous agreement expired in the summer of 2025.
The young mentor, who recently turned 38 years old, said on this occasion:
“I am extremely proud to have signed a new contract with the club. We have achieved incredible success together over the past two seasons and I am thrilled by the opportunity and responsibility to lead this fantastic club in its first season in the Premier League in 22 years.”
Ipswich’s previous visit to the Premier League was more than 20 years ago. That outburst of George Burley’s team was tragic: a sensational fifth place and the UEFA Cup, followed by an instant decline. The tractor drivers spent many years in the Championship, and at the end of the 2010s they even fell into League 1. But McKenna came and made a sensational promotion: two straight promotions in a row.
McKenna is a Northern Irishman who joined Ipswich at the end of 2021 and previously worked at Manchester United (notably on the coaching staffs of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Jose Mourinho, Ralf Rangnick and Michael Carrick). Recently, McKenna’s future has been linked with Brighton, Chelsea (the Blues eventually opted for Enzo Maresca, who returned Leicester to the Premier League) and thus Manchester United.
Together with Ipswich, Leicester rose to the Premier League directly from the Championship, as already mentioned. The third lucky winner was Southampton, who beat Leeds in the play-off final. Let us remind you that Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton left the elite division at the end of last season.
Source: Sportarena
I am Ben Stock and I work in Athletistic as an author. My specialty is covering football news and other related topics. I have been writing for this website since the past 2 years, crafting compelling stories with the latest updates in the sports world. My articles have gained widespread appreciation amongst readers due to their accuracy and depth of research.
