Ipswich Town have confirmed that they have appointed Manchester United first-team coach Kieran McKenna as their new manager.
The 35-year-old has joined the club on a three-and-a-half-year deal, and will take training for the first time on Monday.
Joining McKenna at Portman Road is Martyn Pert, who was also a member of the backroom staff at Old Trafford.
Ipswich Town Appoint Kieran McKenna as New Manager
‘Highly Respected’
Despite it being his role as a manager, the Northern Irishman is well-thought of in football.
McKenna rose through the ranks at Old Trafford – initially taking charge of the academy sides – before taking over as assistant to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer under the regime of Jose Mourinho.
Speaking to the Ipswich Town club website, chief executive Mark Ashton said: “I’m delighted to officially welcome Kieran and Martyn to the club.
“Kieran is a highly-respected young coach who has been working at the top level of English football and with one of the biggest clubs in world football for a number of years in Manchester United.
“He comes to the club with pedigree within the game and with exciting plans about how he is going to take the team forward. When we met, there was a clear meeting of minds in terms of how we will execute the vision of this football club.”
Big Expectations
Arriving with big expectations, McKenna will be charged with bringing instant success to Portman Road.
The Tractor Boys have endured a difficult first of the half of the season and are currently 12th in the League One table.
Alongside his assistant, fans will be hoping that they can still reach the play-offs this season, or even make a late push for the automatic promotion spots.
On his arrival, McKenna said: “I’d like to thank Mark Ashton and the owners for putting their faith in me and Martyn to take the club forward,”
“Leaving a club like Manchester United was obviously a difficult decision, but I strongly believe in the opportunity to build something here.
“It feels like the right time, project and Club to make my first step into first-team management.
“For now, the focus for the team has to be on a huge game on Saturday. After that, I cannot wait to meet everyone and get to work.”
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