Former Blues midfielder and coach Kieron Dyer has lifted the lid on how hurt and disappointed he was not to be offered the caretaker-manager’s job at Portman Road following Paul Cook’s sacking a year ago, and says he now believes he is “too emotionally connected” to the club to ever realise his long-term ambition of becoming the Town boss.

Dyer was U23s coach during Cook’s time at Portman Road as he continued gaining coaching experience as he looked to fulfil his ultimate aim of managing and eventually taking charge of the Blues.

Cook was sacked following the 0-0 FA Cup draw with Barrow a year ago this Sunday and John McGreal, who had been brought in to work alongside Dyer only a couple of days beforehand, was made the interim-manager.

“I remember doing the article about the Rooney Rule [in 2014]. I didn’t really understand the Rooney Rule, so I just gave a great headline ‘I don’t want a job because of the colour of my skin’. That was the headline,” he told the True Geordie podcast.

"And then I had so many black players, like the older players, who had finished their careers and had been trying to get jobs and couldn’t and they were like, ‘What are you doing? You're killing us’.

“I was like, ‘I’m just being honest’. And they said, ‘It’s not about that, the Rooney Rule is that black people have to be interviewed. There has to be evidence shown that they have been interviewed… you don’t understand, you’ll realise’. And I was like, ‘Will I f–!’.

“And then here we are, I’m doing the U18s and U23s and I’m doing a good job. I’m doing a good job at Ipswich U23s and then they signed an assistant manager [John McGreal] on the Thursday to come and work with me.

“And then the manager of the first team [Paul Cook] got the sack on the Saturday. I’m the manager of the U23s. They signed someone to be my assistant on the Thursday, so he’s working under me.

“The manager of the first team gets sacked on the Saturday and I get a text from a mate saying ‘The guy they’ve brought in as your assistant is now caretaker-manager!’. I said ‘What!’. And I’m an Ipswich boy, bred, love the club. It is what it is.”

Asked whether he told anyone at the club how it made him feel, he continued: “I got a text from my assistant and he was saying that he wanted me to assist him and we’d got to do a game. I was like, ‘I’m not assisting you, I’m done, no chance’.

“I spoke to the people above and I basically expressed how hurt and disappointed I was. They just explained that they’ve employed this guy because he’s had actual experience of being a manager in the lower leagues.

“So I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can do this’ and then they pulled at the old heart strings and said, ‘If you don’t want to do it for yourself, do it for us, do it for the club because the club need you’.

“So I assisted him for a few games and I was a shell of myself. I was just going through the motions, really. Just mentally I was just… they broke me, mentally broke me.

“I was just thinking, ‘If you can’t get a chance for a couple of games…’. My end goal was always to be Ipswich Town manager, that’s what I want to be, but after that I [realised], I’m too emotionally connected to the club. I don’t want to ever be manager of the football club. It’s hard to say.”

Kieran McKenna was appointed later that month and Dyer eventually resigned from his role in March, citing his frustrations at the lack of a pathway for young players and himself as a coach.

Last month, Dyer issued a health update, having been diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare disease which attacks the bile ducts and which will require him to undergo a liver transplant, just over a year ago.

Photo: Matchday Images

SamWhiteUK added 15:20 - Dec 2 I kind of understand where he's coming from, but at the same time... "They just explained that they've employed this guy because he's had actual experience of being a manager in the lower leagues." I mean, I'm not sure that can be argued with.
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bkb added 15:21 - Dec 2 The words”toys”and “pram” spring to mind.
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itfcjoe added 15:46 - Dec 2 A real shame and Dyer was harshly treated in all this - totally wrong really just to cover a couple of games when you look at the actual timeline. Would love to see him as a part of McKenna's back room team but feels as though that ship has sailed. CLub in a great place now and that shouldn't be forgotten, but do really feel for KD as someone who has given so much to the club and the area

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itsonlyme added 15:55 - Dec 2 I can see both points of view! KD you were a great player for us and so was JM. Have to sit on the fence with one!
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Karlosfandangal added 16:00 - Dec 2 I wish in todays way that the person who is best for the job gets it
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Linkboy13 added 16:24 - Dec 2 I've always rated Kieron as one of our best players to come through the youth system, but never liked his petchulent behaviour off the pitch which although performing brilliantly for Newcastle never endured him to be fans. I thought by now he might have matured . The club is really buzzing at the moment but Kieron doesn't seem to be impressed he only cares about number one. The name Christiano Ronaldo seems to spring to mind in this saga best got rid of COYB

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bugblatter added 16:41 - Dec 2 The club really handled that situation appallingly imo. I'm with Kieron on this one.
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Suffolkboy added 16:45 - Dec 2 Seems to be still in a bad place emotionally ,and I'd guess stretched and concerned about and by his liver challenges . J M on the other hand has a balanced professional air and quiet confidence and a mature manner of expression . K D was a brilliant example to admire as a player with skill and having come through the ranks; but that alone does not guarantee others will see your skill set matching their perceptions of the needs in hand . I hope when KD gets the medical and clinical issues out of the way successfully, he'll feel able maybe to eat a bit of humble pie and revise his outlook . COYB

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tractorboybig added 16:52 - Dec 2 Needs to live in the real world
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SouperJim added 17:09 - Dec 2 I completely understand the club's decision, McGreal has experience as a manager, Dyer doesn't. However, they should have took Dyer to one side, told him face to face and explained why. It doesn't read like that happened, if so it's terrible management and an awful way to treat such a loyal servant of the club.
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Bazza8564 added 17:10 - Dec 2 Ok, so JM was brought in to support KD for a reason. Like it or not, the Club felt he needed help. Now call me a cynic, but if he was considered possibly not quite up to the job with the U23's, is it a great surprise he wasn't considered up to the job as Caretaker for the first team?
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Broadhill added 17:18 - Dec 2 Great player, but lm not sure he was ever management materials. He says it himself he is too emotional. You need a level head, just look at KM.
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arc added 18:31 - Dec 2 Wow. I was shocked when McGreal was appointed especially as I was looking forward to KD getting the job permanently–a young, progressive coach, Ipswich through-and-through, who earned his shot with success with the U-23s. When the health stuff came out, I assumed that was the reason–that Kieron had stepped aside knowing his health was not up to it. And now this. I am pretty shocked, I have to say. I wish Kieron all the best and hope he's back at ITFC at some point.

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BlueandTruesince82 added 18:49 - Dec 2 He has a point, he was doing a cracking job with the u23s but equally JM is a more experienced manager. I really would love to see KD manage Town one day, he really does love the club and wants success for it just as much as each and every one of us. It's a shame that ATM he is limited as to where he can work so getting that 1st chance as a manager is going to be all the harder. I think Col U should have taken a chance with him. Ultimately we do not have room for sentiment right now. We have to get out of L1 ASAP and then we really build towards something.

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SickParrot added 19:06 - Dec 2 The club must have had a reason to appoint JM as KD's assistant. Perhaps just because they were preparing for Cook's dismissal and wanted a ready made caretaker on the books? Whilst JM's managerial experience would justify him getting the caretaker role over KD, as it was for one game only I can see why KD regards it as a kick in the teeth. I am very surprised and disappointed to learn that the club didn't make sure that KD was informed of KM's appointment and the reasons why before the appointment was in the public domain.

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PositivelyPortman added 19:41 - Dec 2 Management have got so many other things absolutely on the button, but this situation with KD was really poorly thought through. KD knew that he wasn't likely to keep the job permanently, but what a boost it would have been to him, and it would have kept him onside with the club.
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Carberry added 19:46 - Dec 2 This doesn't smell good. McGreal comes in just days before Cook is sacked, so Ashton knew what he was doing. Not bringing in an assistant to Dyer but a caretaker manager and presumably gambling on KD departing in a huff, leaving McGreal to run the U23s. Nasty business, football.
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blueboy1981 added 20:26 - Dec 2 Totally understand where KD is coming from on this - people knocking him need to take stock of how loyal and successful he has, and had been, for the Club. He had worked both hard, and successfully for the Club, to be given a chance to prove himself - with what happened, and the way it did, it killed his Dream of Managing Ipswich Town, his beloved Club. At a difficult time in his life too !! Quite honestly, the way it was done - STINKS - to this Day !

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runningout added 20:53 - Dec 2 KD still has big part to play at ITFC if he wishes I'm sure
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Tractorboy1985 added 21:15 - Dec 2 ITS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE COLOUR OF YOUR SKIN!!! I absolutely love you KD and growing up you were a favourite player of mine and I really hope in the future you are apart of this wonderful upcoming club again but it was too soon! I'd have hated you to fail like fat Frank at Chelsea.. then there is no way back.. do your apprenticeship.. prove you are a top coach and come back! Would love to see it! COYB

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Churchman added 23:23 - Dec 2 KD was a smashing player for us before he deservedly got his big move to the PL. He's clearly a good coach too. I hoped he might get the job at least temporarily after Cook left. However, I fully understand why McGreal was given it and given the shocking effort at Charlton, I'm not sure a three game stint would have helped KD at that time. Did the club get it wrong? On balance and in the context of the takeover fallout and Cook's incompetence, I don't think they did. I also think his decision to leave the club when he did when he enjoys coaching was odd and so was going public on his disappointment. It's not going to help him get a good coaching job. However much he feels let down, sometimes it's best to keep stuff like that private, not least because you never know when opportunities might arise. Why close options,, which he undoubtably has with ITFC for now? I like KD - I hope he gets an opportunity to show what he can do. More importantly, I hope he overcomes his health issues.

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abandon_hope1978 added 15:46 - Dec 3 Dyer needs to grow up and accept he's not the man to run our club. He obviously thinks his reputation as an ex player is more than sufficient qualification to have the job. How many academy players have not achieved their ambition but move on with acceptance and quiet dignity. When Dyer proves he's good enough to manage a first team, he may be considered. Stop bitching and get on with life.

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