Blues manager Kieran McKenna admits he was disappointed to lose centre-half Cameron Burgess in the summer, the Australian international having left Portman Road after four very successful years to join Saturday’s opponents Swansea City.

The 30-year-old is the only member of the Swans squad to have played every minute of their 14 Championship games so far and also made some big Carabao Cup headlines when he scored twice, the second a stunning late winner, as the Welsh side came from 2-0 down to beat a Nottingham Forest team featuring Omari Hutchinson 3-2 at the Swansea.com Stadium in September.

McKenna made no secret of his desire to keep Burgess, a member of the back-to-back promotion side, at Portman Road but the defender, who had joined Town from Accrington Stanley in August 2021 for £750,000, was out of contract at the end of last season and opted to turn down the offer of a new deal at Portman Road and instead join the Swans.

Burgess’s main focus may have been on playing regularly this season, something he hadn’t done with the Blues last term following the signing of Jacob Greaves, in order to secure a place in the Socceroos’ squad for the World Cup finals next summer.

McKenna says it’s no shock that Burgess has become a key member of the Swansea side since his move.

“No, no surprise,” he said. “And from his point of view, it’s good to see him getting those minutes. 

“He’s been playing well. I’ve seen plenty of their games in prep for this and also a few in the cup run as well. 

“It’ll be good to see him on Saturday, good to catch up with him after the game, hopefully at the end of a positive result from our point of view. 

“But, of course, he’s someone who we all think very highly of here as a player and as a character as well, and we wish him well.

“Glad to see him doing well at club and international level. Hopefully we’ll disrupt that a little bit on Saturday, but good to see him doing well.”

Reflecting on Burgess’s departure, McKenna was asked whether it was simply a case of the requirements of the parties involved not quite lining up.

“There or thereabouts,” he said. “Cam was a free agent, he was out of contract, so he was right to look at what’s best for his future as well. It’s obvious the things most players want, lots of playing time and to do as well financially as possible. 

“He’s played good minutes here and he weighed up all his options and Swansea, I guess, was the offer that gave the best of those two in terms of playing minutes and I’m sure a good contract.

“Disappointed to lose him, he certainly has always been and would have been a strong addition to our group.

“But players are within their rights to make those decisions and as much as we’re disappointed to lose him, we all wished him well. 

“And he’s come a really good way in his career over the last few years and genuinely I think we all hope that he has some good years ahead. But just not including Saturday.”

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