Ipswich Town: Harry Clarke makes Kieran McKenna prediction amid Man Utd links | OneFootball

Ipswich Town defender Harry Clarke believes that Kieran McKenna is "destined for great things" following the club's promotion to the Championship amid links between the manager and the Manchester United job.

The Tractor Boys' achievement in the 2023/24 campaign is one that the club will find hard to overshadow. Back-to-back promotions from the third tier to the top flight, against some of the best teams that the Championship has seen in recent years; it's hard to put into words just how impressive it was.

There's also the added factor that this is McKenna's first-ever job as a manager in football. In his only two full seasons as a head coach, he has won promotion both times.

It should be no wonder that the right back calls him a "genius."

Prior to his move to Portman Road, the Northern Irishman worked under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as a coach at Man United.

His success as Ipswich manager has caught the attention of top teams, and his old side are one of them. The Guardian have reported that the 38-year-old has emerged as a surprise candidate to take over from Erik ten Hag.

Contact is reported to have been made between the two camps, but talks are still in very early stages, according to The Guardian.

The Town boss has already rejected one proposal from a Premier League side, batting off Crystal Palace's interest in late 2023 before they decided to appoint Oliver Glasner.

Clarke has given a prediction about McKenna's future amid these links.

Harry Clarke's Kieran McKenna prediction amid Man Utd links

The Ipswich-born former Arsenal academy graduate believes that the Town manager is: "destined for great things."

"He's an absolute genius, honestly," the 23-year-old told BBC Suffolk, via EADT.

"I'll be the first one to design his statue outside the stadium! He's absolutely incredible. He's the main reason I came back. Working under him has been a pleasure.

"He's destined for great things, whether that be here or another big club. Hopefully he stays, I'm sure he will. With him the sky's the limit."

Clarke also took time to reflect on what he has achieved with his boyhood club, just 18 months on from his return home. He said: "Never did I think after 18 months of being here I'd be in the Premier League.

"It is what dreams are made of, but never did I dream this. I came here hoping to get us in the Championship, so this has exceeded all my dreams."

Kieran McKenna needs to be patient with his next career step

Both the Northern Irishman and the Ipswich fans should recognise that it is very unlikely that McKenna will spend a large portion of his managerial career at Portman Road.

That said, at the rate he's been going, he could have Town in Aston Villa's position in a few years' time.

But the odds lean towards an eventual departure. The pull of one of the top clubs will eventually be too large to resist, and he will move on from Ipswich. That time doesn't need to come ASAP though.

He's proven to be level-headed in this regard, rejecting Palace's reported proposal to focus on his side's promotion push. But, now that he is in the top flight, that spotlight on his greatness will fully inform the uninformed of just how good he is.

This will attract attention, but he should be in no rush to jump at a Man United or a Liverpool. Even if things don't go swimmingly in the Premier League, it will be good for him to build up some more experience before moving in with one of the big boys.