Town manager Kieran McKenna says it was a brilliant feeling to see the happiness at Portman Road after the Blues secured their promotion back to the Premier League by beating QPR 3-0.

The result was never in any doubt with George Hirst and Jaden Philogene sending Town into a 2-0 lead within nine minutes, before Kasey McAteer sealed it with a third goal five minutes from time.

“A brilliant feeling to see the happiness in the stadium,” McKenna said, speaking on the pitch after the team had received the trophy for finishing second and claiming their third promotion in four years.

“The way we came right out of the blocks was outstanding, really, and we gave ourselves that margin. I think they reacted really well over the course of the season they’ve grown.

“If you look at this last run, that’s our eighth game in 27 days, three away games back-to-back, there have been a lot of challenges and it was great to get back home today and come out like we did and put ourselves in a great position.”

Asked about the emotions he went through during the game, McKenna, the first Town boss to win three promotions and two to the top flight, added: “It’s hard to enjoy, to be honest. You just really want it, for everyone else more so, especially the lads who haven’t had it in the group and for the supporters, and for your family it means so much because they see now much you put into it.

“I couldn’t really enjoy it until 3-0. I thought when we got the two early goals, it might be a rare day that the lads give us that we could sit back a little bit and enjoy it, but it wasn’t to be, but it was all worth it in the end.”

He continued: “Really proud, I have to say. Not just for myself but my family, for the support that they’ve given me, really proud of the staff and the group.

“It’s not been easy for that group of players but they’ve really stuck at it and you can’t ever underestimate how hard it is to get promoted to the Premier League, so it’s a great achievement.”

Asked how this promotion compares to the one two seasons ago, McKenna reflected: “I think they’re really different. What was done before, I don’t think it will ever be repeated, it was special to do it back-to-back from League One with basically the same group. I don’t think it will be repeated again with the way finances are going.

“This one has been more difficult in some ways, [the last one] as an achievement and certainly in different ways may be unrepeatable, but this one’s been a completely different challenge and it has been a big challenge.

“I know how hard we’ve had to work for it, I know it could have gone in a really different direction, so I’m really proud that we’ve kept it together and we’ve got it over the line.

“It was always going to be different because leagues change year by year and we’re coming into it with a completely different context with a different group of players and then we had many, many more challenges over the summer than we were expecting.

“Probably, there were some key games, but once we got into it, I had a feeling that we were going to have to do this in a different way and we managed to keep the group together and keep pushing forward step by step with a few steps back, but kept on the train, kept pushing it forward and it’s different for many different reasons, but it’s a fantastic achievement.”

McKenna needed to utilise his whole squad over the course of the campaign: “Seasons always play out like, different people step up at different times, so many examples over the course of the season. There’s probably one in goal, Christian Walton, today’s third goalscorer Kasey McAteer and from front to back there are different stories across there.

“It’s not been easy for the lads in many different ways, but as a group they’ve stuck together, they’ve had some outstanding leadership from Dara and a few other boys in there that have really driven the dressing room and held them together and those boys really deserve it.”

The Blues were favourites for promotion from the off and the squad’s mentality was queried at times.

“That’s been questioned all the way with the group,” McKenna continued. “In some ways I understand it and in some ways I think for me it’s been a bit over the top because the reality is that it’s been a new group of players coming into the club for the first time. Some have come into the league for the first time, some of them moving away from their home club.

“We know that’s been questioned about the club right the way through. We’ve had to grow that. You don’t just become a resilient team with a lot of character and togetherness when you walk in the door, especially when the group doesn’t come together until the end of August.

“I think that’s clearly grown over the course of the season and has been really evident for me in this last run-in, and even in the run-in people have said we’ve drawn games and stuff like that.

“The eight games that we’ve had in this space of time, that was tough and it took the whole group to be together to push forward in that and to finish with one loss in 15 games or something shows that the character of the group has really come together by the end.”

Quizzed on the significant moments in the season, McKenna cited some of the defeats as well as the big wins.

“We’ve had some brilliant highs, of course, the two Norwich games will standout, the Sheffield United game here was lift-off for the group,” he said.

“But when you look back at the season, the significant moments are losing 3-0 here to Charlton, that’s a significant moment, where we were with the group at that point to where we’ve got the group to now, the clean sheets that we’ve had since then, the resilience that’s grown in the group.

“Wrexham away [lost 5-3], I don’t think we gave our best face but also the game could have gone either way but we conceded five goals away from home and you feel that hurt.

“In the end for me, those are the signposts in the season, it’s not the big wins because you have have big win — we had a big win at Norwich and lost at Portsmouth and everyone gets criticised for the same things.

“It’s the tough days and how you come through them as a group and how you react and how you pull together tighter, those are the significant points in the season, and that’s been right the way through the journey.

“I could go back to Bristol Rovers away in League One, maybe that’s just my way of looking at it, but those are the days that you show yourself as a manager or as a staff member or as a player and the struggle over the course of the season has brought us all tighter.”

Four players have now won three promotions, Hirst, Christian Walton, Leif Davis and Wes Burns, while Jack Taylor joins them in having claimed two to the top flight, as did Mick Stockwell and Ray Crawford during their Town careers.

But McKenna was more pleased for the players who were tasting success with the club for the first time.

“I’m really happy for them, for George, Christian, Leif and Wes, they probably feel a little bit like myself, you’ve had some privileged days and you’re honoured to have had them, but for some of the other boys it’s been tough,” he said.

“We signed a lot of boys from the Championship, put them into the Premier League together and we didn’t win many games and it’s hard. Everyone tried their best but we were short.

“So those boys were then coming into this season without any real confidence or without having that love or that real feeling of belonging and feeling like they’re good players, important players at this club.

“So it was difficult for them and it’s taken time for them to build into it and you can see some examples today of lads who have really grown into that after going through a relegation in their first year at the club, that’s difficult.

“And then players who joined this year who are new to us and new to the club and are having to come into the year in probably a more challenging year in our previous years in the division.

“You’re really happy for them because they all came here with the goal of helping the club achieve promotion and you’re delighted for them.

“Those of us who have been privileged enough to have three of them, we know how lucky we are, but in the dressing room I’m probably most happy for the boys who have been with us over the last two years and had to really go through some struggle as well.”

Looking back at today’s game, the Northern Irishman smiled: “I could have enjoyed it more if we’d have got the third goal a bit quicker, 2-0’s always tough.

“We started so, so well and you’re thinking it could possibly be a day that we could get this wrapped up early and really just enjoy it. We had one with Exeter a couple of years ago, but those days are once in a lifetime, so it’s probably too much to ask for.

“So we gave ourselves a decent margin, but from the sideline, I probably couldn’t enjoy it until it was 3-0 but in terms of the crowd, the weather, seeing everyone here happy, the third promotion on our home ground in four years, I know these are really special times.”

As for the previous two promotions and Portman Road derbies, the team were given a rousing welcome by fans as they arrived at the ground.

“We’ve had a few of them now and they’ve always been a privilege,” the Blues boss continued. “I think it’s always helped us. We’ve always come out strong when we’ve had that and just really builds that togetherness. Brilliant for the lads who haven’t experienced that and experienced days like this.”

Asked whether he has to pinch himself having taken the club from League One, up to the Championship and then on to two promotions to the Premier League, he added: “To have three in four years, it’s not lost on me, it’s special. We do work exceptionally hard for a lot of people here, but we still know even with that it’s special to have days like this.

“It’s been a helluva journey, seeing the team today, maybe five of the lads today were in League One three years ago and a lot of staff who were here with us in League One, supporters who were here watching League One football, reporters reporting on League One football.

“You just feel really proud for all those parties that they get to compete in the best league in the world again.”

Regarding he fans, he continued: “It means a lot. I think everyone knows and can see that we’ve really dived into this as a family. Moved down here, it was a big step coming from Manchester. My kids are growing up now in Ipswich. We’ve thrown everything into it and I really appreciate their support.

“We feel part of the community, really, and you know how much it means to people. To given them Premier League football for one year was really special because you don’t know, it’s not a big town, but it’s a massive football club with a massive history, but it’s not a massive city and bringing Premier League football to this place, the people really deserve it and it makes you really proud. To have it twice now, we’re really delighted with that.”

McKenna says he will be celebrating tonight: “Definitely, I’m going to enjoy this one, I have to say. I’ve got my family here and with the coaching staff, I’m going to make sure we all enjoy it because I know how hard you have to work for it and you can’t take these days for granted.”

Photo: TWTD