Town boss Kieran McKenna says managing the Blues is everything he could have wished for when he took charge in December 2021.

The 37-year-old Northern Irishman has enjoyed a hugely successful time at Portman Road since then, seeing Town to promotion from League One last season and up to second in the early stages of the Championship campaign.

Asked at last night’s Fans’ Forum whether the job has gone as he would have expected when he took on the role after leaving the Manchester United backroom staff, McKenna said: “I don’t think you can ever say what you expect in football. I think it’s certainly gone as I would have hoped.

“As I’ve said before, my first job in management was always going to be a big decision for me personally and to come to Ipswich Town when they were mid-table in League One was a big decision because it was a club with fantastic history and tradition and fanbase and a wonderful new ownership and a chief executive who was going to be really good to work with, but a lot of risk as well and a lot of risk for any coach taking a first job as a manager.

“But it’s everything that I could have wished for. The support has been fantastic from the ownership, the support from [CEO] Mark [Ashton] and everyone at boardroom level’s been wonderful, from the chairman Michael O’Leary.

“The investors when they come over are nothing but supportive, whether they’re here or we have a discussion on Zoom, they’ve been wonderful.

“The supporters have been incredible to myself and to my family in terms of welcoming us to the area and I’ve come into a group of players, who have been a joy to work with and their professionalism and their desire to be part of something special at this club shows to this day, and a lot of them we’ve still got on that journey from where we were a couple of years ago.

“It’s been everything that I could have hoped for and it’s just hoping for lots of good years ahead now.”

CEO Ashton was asked what he was most proud of in his time at the club having taken his job in June 2021 but having been part of the Gamechanger 20 Ltd takeover which was completed earlier in the year.

“That’s a question that Ed Schwartz [CEO of ORG, the US investment firm which manages funds on behalf of the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System, which holds a 90 per cent stake in Gamechanger 20 Ltd, of which he is a board member] asked me just after we were promoted, ‘Tell me, in the first two years of your tenure, what do you think has been the best decision that you’ve made?’.

“And for me, the answer’s really simple. It was identifying this football club as the football club that our owners should invest in and acquire. Had I got that decision wrong at that point, none of this would have happened.

“Be under no illusion, this gentleman [Kieran McKenna] is so important to us, so are these [pointing to his fellow panel members], so is Jacob [Henderson, who was MCing the event], so are the staff, so are you [the fans].

“But if I hadn’t taken this club to them and said, ‘This is the one, these are the reasons why we could acquire a club that is very special, maybe broken, maybe dented, but I believe it still has a heartbeat and we can help rebuild this football club quickly’.

“Had I got that wrong, none of this would have happened, so, for me, whatever I go on to achieve or not achieve at this football club, that single decision I think will be the most important one I’ll ever make at this club.”

Photo: ITFC

Suffolkboy added 11:52 - Sep 14 Our loyalty and belief totally justified ; our whole Team personify everything we could wish for as supporters ! The genuine dedication, commitment and enthusiasm both as a group and individually shines through . This isn’t ‘luck’ ,this is well earned and thoroughly thought through success , in which ITFC can take real pride . COYB
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Orraman added 11:59 - Sep 14 Less than 5 years ago we were a run down club playing in a half full tatty stadium, owned by ME and managed by McCarthy, followed by Lambert then Cook and going nowhere. We supporters turned up more through sense of duty than anticipation then suddenly things started to happen. So thank you Gamechanger, thank you Michael O’Leary, thank you Mark Ashton and thank you Super Kieran McKenna for choosing Ipswich Town and putting us back on the road to the good times and giving us back a club and team to be proud of once again establishing us as the real Pride of East Anglia

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Nesspointrunner added 12:18 - Sep 14 It is because we have seen the dark days that this period in the light seems so bright. But for me it is as if the spirit of the club has returned. It's one we can all be proud of. Thank you to all of the above but also to all those supporters who never gave up hope. Nice bit on KMcK in the Telegraph today.
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ArnieM added 12:37 - Sep 14 Frank Yallop “introduced/suggested/ identified” Ipswich Town to the owners of Phoenix Rising as I understand it, a good while before Ashton was on the scene. Interesting his he’s taking credit for it now.
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IPSWICHMOUSE added 12:38 - Sep 14 Someone once famously said 'Football's a funny old game' , & how right they were!! It is very hard to predict the correct results for a football match or how the season will pan out....BUT ...... what you CAN predict & with 100% chance of getting right , is the fact ITFC will be a Prem club in the not to distant future.....LOVING THE JOURNEY....COYB...ITID..
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ArnieM added 12:41 - Sep 14 Frank Yallop talks here about his suggesting Town to Phoenix owners : https://www.twtd.co.uk/amp/news/43893/yallop-they%E2%80%99re-great-people-we%E2%
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Cadiar added 13:31 - Sep 14 ArnieM, always a negative from you. Ashton was identified because he's a professional & Game changer saw that. Frank Yallop also saw that, the whole organisation is working as one Ashton is doing an excellent job so why are knocking the man. Perhaps you'd prefer things as they were under McCarthy with Sheepshanks in charge who by the way did everything he could for the club but didn't have the financial clout needed. At least we are surviving unlike Bury or Barrow

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Gforce added 14:29 - Sep 14 Nesspointrunner.......Cheers for the tip,it was an excellent piece on Mckenna in the telegraph today.
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Bazza8564 added 14:39 - Sep 14 Interesting from Mark last night confirming that he was working with GC to identify the right club to invest in some while back. I totally believe this personally because Mike O'Leary, with whom MA had worked at 3 different clubs prior to ITFC was engaged with GC a long way out too, and although I have no doubt Yallops involvement was also 100% genuine, i'm sure they had a list of clubs to choose from which is where i suspect MA was involved. Either way, all I can say about MA and KM is that they stayed until every fan left last night, as did Tom and Luke, Jacob, Seb, Marcus Nash and DanPalfrey. Every one of them was accessible, happy to have pictures taken and shake hands with every signal fan. Personally, I took the opportunity to chat with Tom Ball, first time id met him, yet another open, responsive and 100% honest man. I remember as a younger man meeting Robson and some of the 70s players, they didnt have a minute for you. As far as us fans are concerned, You can keep the history for me, this is the way a football club should be run, im prouder than ever of ITFC

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Nesspointrunner added 16:05 - Sep 14 Nesspointrunner.......Cheers for the tip,it was an excellent piece on Mckenna in the telegraph today. Unusual for the Telegraph who usually do not even recognise that teams outside London, Liverpool or Manchester exist unless you are owned by a film star. But then I thought. It was about a Spurs & Man Utd chap doing rather well and all was explained.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 16:53 - Sep 14 The feeling's mutual, Kieran. You are everything WE could have wished for!
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