How Kieran McKenna leaving Ipswich unfolded

Ipswich Town fans and former players have expressed their sadness and gratitude after manager Kieran McKenna announced he would be stepping down.

McKenna said on Wednesday night he would be leaving so he could spend time with his family after managing the team for four-and-a-half years.

He is one of the club's most successful managers, having taken it through three successful promotions in four seasons.

Fan Sandra Cunningham told the BBC she believed McKenna was one of the best managers Town ever had.

Earlier this year, McKenna took the club through a successful promotion back up to the Premier League for the second time.

Fans celebrating the promotion spoke of their excitement to return to the top flight for the 2026-2027 season with him at the helm.

However, the rumour mill recently began to swirl, and there had been talk of leaving Town to head over to Fulham.

On Wednesday, it was confirmed he would not be making that move, but Town announced he would be instead taking a step back from football altogether.

• As it happened: Kieran McKenna steps down as Ipswich Town boss

In a statement, McKenna said he was ready to spend some time with his family.

"I feel this is the right time for me to step aside," he said.

"I do so with great pride at the incredible progress we have made and with huge hope and optimism for the future of the club.

"After giving so much to the role over the previous five seasons, I now look forward to taking a break from management and dedicating some time to my family, who have been with me every step of my career so far."

Immediately, reactions started pouring in from the fans, some of which were very emotional.

Cunningham told BBC Radio Suffolk's Wayne Bavin: "A huge respect to Kieran, what he has done for the club is absolutely remarkable, unbelievable.

"He's given us what we could never have dreamed of when he came in in December 2021."

She added: "I've been mentally exhausted, I've been up and down, and I'm not in charge, I'm a fan.

"For Kieran, that's one of the things that makes him so special. He gave it his all, his heart and soul."

Christoffer Vårhus, part of the Ipswich Town Supporters Club of Norway, said McKenna had been "the most influential person in the club's modern history".

"He has united the town and everyone who works in and around the club," he said.

"We have so much to thank Kieran McKenna for. He will be deeply missed by the entire town.

"He has given us memories that will last a lifetime, and for me, only the birth of our daughter ranks higher than being there to witness the promotion in 2024 and storming the pitch afterwards.

"It's a memory I'll cherish forever, and I am forever grateful for the joy he brought me."

Harrison Mayhew-Kemp, 22, volunteers at Ipswich Town Football Club Foundation's disability football programme.

He told the BBC the news of Kieran McKenna's leaving was "very sad".

"McKenna will always be remembered fondly by me," he explained.

"With him, I saw wonderful things that I never thought I would.

"Always a legend. I have great faith in Ashton that he will bring the right person in to take us forward though.

"This club is going in the right direction."

Former players also spoke about working with McKenna.

Massimo Luongo has known McKenna since he was in the youth set-up at Tottenham and then played under him at Ipswich Town during one of the most successful periods in the club's history.

"First and foremost, he was obsessed with football," Luongo recalled of his time working with McKenna to BBC Radio Suffolk's Wayne Bavin.

"He was the first one in the training ground, he was the last one to leave... he is very obsessed with football, but as a person, he is a great guy.

"His morals are top, he demands a good dressing room, he demands hard work and everything he applies to himself in football, he demands from the rest of the players.

"You can see that, and if you've got a leader that sets the example by doing it, then it's so easy to follow.

"He had such an impact on me and the group I came through with, and he'll have an impact on everyone in Ipswich and the town, so he's left a massive legacy there."

BBC Radio Suffolk's sports editor, Graeme McLoughlin, said he imagined McKenna needed a break now.

"It's always a surprise when these things happen because you don't really get a lot of steer," he told BBC Radio Suffolk's Sarah Lilley.

"That initial phone call and then you see it online always comes as a shock, but in some ways it really isn't a huge surprise.

"Although supporters might not like hearing this, it feels like a natural parting of ways as a guy who has given absolutely everything to this role for four-and-a-half years.

"We spoke to him on the final day of the season; he is spent, he is exhausted, he needs a break.

"He might feel as if he has taken the club as far as he can take it."

Brenner Woolley, BBC Radio Suffolk's Town commentator, also spoke of McKenna's character.

"He deserves every accolade that comes his way, whether that be for his achievements on the pitch or for the way in which he's conducted himself under extraordinary pressure at times, he said.

Having come across many different characters during my 23 seasons of commentating on Town, I can honestly say he's been an absolute dream to deal with, a class act - very humble, respectful and understanding of our role in the media.

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