Despite an upturn in form, the Tractor Boys couldn’t make up enough ground to reach the play-offs that season but they went one better the following campaign, as a 19-game unbeaten run helped secure second place and earned McKenna a new four-year contract.
With survival the main aim this season, Ipswich’s exploits have been truly astonishing. They have seen McKenna pick up the Championship Manager of the Season award, as well as two monthly accolades during the campaign.
When asked what reaching the Premier League as a manager means to him, Kieran told Sky Sports: “It means a lot, mostly seeing how much it means to everyone – the players, the supporters. To be one of the leaders in that is absolutely massive so it’s a wonderful day, a very, very proud one for everyone involved.
“We’ve done it through an incredible amount of effort and sacrifice, support from a lot of people and it’s a wonderful achievement. I’m sure it will sink in in a couple of days. It’s going to be a great challenge, of course a lot of work to do in the football club. For me on a personal level, it’s going to be a great challenge and one I’m looking forward to.”
