Kieran McKenna explains why he left Ipswich and what’s next

Kieran McKenna, the former Ipswich manager, explains in an interview why he decided to leave “in the best way possible” after the club’s third promotion in five years. He says the moment came at Portman Road after Ipswich swept aside QPR and secured their return to the Premier League, when he felt it was “probably time.”

Why he stepped away

Five months later, he insists he has no regrets about cutting things short. He points to time with family and friends as a major reason for pausing a career built on coaching, as he spent part of the break with his son, including golf and summer trips along the East Anglian coast.

Learning before the next move

McKenna also says incoming proposals for his next role arrived “too soon,” especially given how he left Ipswich. Since early September, he’s eased back in by watching and assessing games, travelling to spend time with Bayern Munich, Wigan Warriors and Colorado Rapids. This week he visits clubs in Spain, and next Wednesday he begins work as a UEFA technical observer for Shakhtar Donetsk vs AEK Athens at Stamford Bridge. He says he wants the best chance to learn before taking on the next challenge.