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McKenna: Aluko Will Have Plenty of Options After His Playing Days - Ipswich Town News

Town boss Kieran McKenna says forward Sone Aluko has the potential to be a success in many areas of the game once he decides to hang up his boots.

The 33-year-old, who still sees himself as having a few seasons left as a player, watched Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Wigan alongside Town’s analysts and McKenna says that’s an aspect of the game the former Nigerian international has shown an interest in.

"I think he enjoys that side of it, he’s got a really good football brain,” he said. "He likes to communicate in the team meetings and speaks really well, sees the game well, sees exactly what we’re doing here.

"I think he enjoys the style of play, enjoys the journey that we’re on. He likes to take that view on things sometimes and is always a good one to bounce off for an opinion as well. A really good senior player and somebody with good experiences to share.”

In February, Aluko told TWTD that he’d be keen to stay with the Blues next season with his one-year contract up this summer.

He also said that he has spoken to McKenna as he starts to plan for his post-playing days future, "just picking his brain on coaching or working somewhere else in the club”.

McKenna said: "We’ve had those discussions, I think that will be up to him really, he’s got a good chance to go into whatever he wants to go into.

"He’s obviously got vast experience as a player but is very well liked, very well respected, I think he’s an intelligent man and if he wanted to go into things behind the scenes at boardroom level or directorial level, I think he’d have some of those skills as well.

"But he really enjoys training and is passionate about being on the grass, so if coaching was what he wanted to go into I think he’d have a good chance of having a good crack at that as well.

"I think he’s still thinking about playing and still thinking about his time as a player and is very much open I think to staying in the game involved in different ways, and he’ll probably start to come to those conclusions himself over the next couple of years.”

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