Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has reportedly held talks with Scottish giants Rangers over their vacant managerial position.
Having taken on the role at Portman Road in 2021, the 39-year-old has emerged as one of the hottest young coaches in the English game. As a result, he has consistently been linked with positions over the course of the past couple of years after taking the Tractor Boys from League One to the Premier League.
Although Ipswich suffered relegation back to the Championship in May, their season in the top tier was seen as somewhat of a free hit. Despite that, they were widely praised for their performances.
This season is the first in McKenna’s tenure where they are viewed as favourites for promotion. The Suffolk-based side started slowly but have recovered in recent weeks to pick up excellent victories over Sheffield United, Portsmouth and rivals Norwich City.
McKenna Holds Rangers Talks
It’s been a dismal start to the campaign for Rangers. Having appointed Russell Martin in the summer hoping to close the gap on champions Celtic, the former Southampton boss could only muster a solitary win from their opening 7 league matches, whilst crashing out of the Champions League at the qualifying stage following an embarrassing 9-1 aggregate defeat.
They turned to ex-manager Steven Gerrard – the last man to bring the Scottish Premiership back to Ibrox – but were turned down at the 11th hour. This has led to a change of tact, with it being reported that they have held talks with former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl, ex-Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna.
The news was first reported over the weekend by Ibrox Noise, but has now been confirmed by teamTALK.
McKenna has consistently reiterated his commitment to Ipswich over the past few years. Although he has been linked to a number of roles, the Northern Irishman was keen to continue his development at Portman Road. However, the noise of a potential exit has grown louder in recent months, most notably when he was a guest of the board at West Ham United shortly before Graham Potter’s departure in September.
Writer’s View
Ipswich have recovered from a slow start to show they are ready to launch a serious promotion assault. This resulted in McKenna winning the Championship Manager of the Month for September, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that he may be readying the next step in his career.
There was the flirtation with West Ham but this is the first time that reports have emerged that he has held talks with another club. Although he has always remained loyal to Ipswich, it’s likely that McKenna now feels as if the time is approaching to try is hand at a higher level. Rangers could be just the job to offer that platform.
