Former Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna says he is not rushing back into coaching after choosing to leave the club and is looking for a job where he can improve players, play attacking football and build a lasting connection with the community.
The 40-year-old decided his time at Portman Road had ended after Ipswich secured promotion back to the Premier League by beating Queens Park Rangers in May. It was the club’s third promotion in five years.
“Being able to leave on such a high note was really great,” McKenna told The Guardian. “It was another big win, the stadium was packed, my family and the fans were all there.”
Five months later, McKenna has no regrets about stepping away. He has spent the summer with his family, including travelling along the East Anglian coast in a motorhome and playing golf with his son, who has recently taken up the sport.
McKenna has coached for 20 years, including spells at Tottenham and Manchester United, but believes the break has given him an opportunity to reflect and continue learning. He remains living in Ipswich with his wife and children, who attend school there.
“Those close to me who truly know me understood why I wanted to step away for a while,” he said. “I’m certainly not in a hurry. I’m enjoying the time I have now and hope the right opportunity will eventually come along.”
Since early September, McKenna has returned gradually to football. He has been watching and analysing matches, visited Bayern Munich, Wigan Warriors and Colorado Rapids, and continued improving his Spanish. He is visiting clubs in Spain this week and will work as a UEFA technical observer for the first time next week when Shakhtar Donetsk play AEK Athens at Stamford Bridge.
“I want to give myself the best possible learning opportunities before taking on the next challenge,” he said.
McKenna described the 2025/26 season as the hardest of his four-and-a-half years at Ipswich. After taking the club from League One to the Premier League through successive promotions, he had to rebuild a squad whose core members were gradually departing.
“There was a feeling internally that if we didn’t work very hard to bring everyone back together, things could very easily go in a negative direction,” he said, comparing Ipswich’s situation with Luton’s decline after returning to the top flight.
He rejected the idea that his departure was motivated by concerns over relegation or damage to his reputation. Ipswich would have had a £200 million transfer budget had he stayed, while McKenna had also contributed to plans for a new training ground. He said those developments showed the club had begun a new chapter under his successor, O’Neil.
McKenna said his departure speech to supporters was among the most difficult moments of his career, but he remains proud of leaving Ipswich with the club in the Premier League and on a strong foundation.
He has been linked with Celtic and former club Tottenham, but said his next role must offer more than short-term success.
“I want to go somewhere I can help players improve, play attacking football and win games,” he said. “I also want to enjoy building connections with the club and the community, and build something that will be remembered.”
McKenna’s brother and children still attend Ipswich matches, but he does not expect to return to Portman Road soon.
“I hope that one day in the future I can return to the stadium as an old acquaintance,” he said.
