Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has described this season’s promotion to the Premier League as the most difficult of his managerial career, despite guiding the club back to the top flight at the first time of asking.
The Tractor Boys secured a return to the Premier League after a dominant 3-0 home victory over Queens Park Rangers, confirming a second-place finish in the Championship. It marks an immediate comeback after last season’s relegation.
McKenna, who has now achieved three promotions in four years as a manager, admitted this latest success carried a different weight due to the challenges the club has faced both on and off the pitch.
“It means a lot, I have to say,” McKenna said. “It’s probably been the hardest one (of our three promotions in four years) if I’m honest. It’s brilliant.
“I know how hard we’ve had to work to turn it around. As a club we had such a climb and a steep fall. We’ve had to rebuild this team under difficult circumstances and we deserve to be where we are today.”
Ipswich made a flying start in their decisive final fixture, scoring twice inside the opening 10 minutes through George Hirst and Jaden Philogene, effectively sealing the result early on.
Reflecting on the performance, McKenna praised his side’s intensity, even if maintaining that level proved difficult.
“I thought we were incredible,” he added. “It was an incredible start, we didn’t manage to maintain that. To have a third promotion at home in four years, and see so many happy faces.”
Ipswich’s campaign was not always straightforward, with a slow start to the season threatening to derail their ambitions. However, McKenna highlighted the team’s steady improvement as the key to their eventual success.
“We started slow, which can happen, but we have steadily improved over the course of the year,” he said. “We showed it on Tuesday at Southampton and today, it’s about how you finish.
“I am going to enjoy this one – I’m not going to start thinking about the Premier League today.”
The promotion caps off a remarkable rise under McKenna, who has transformed Ipswich into a Premier League side once again after a difficult relegation campaign, restoring momentum and belief at Portman Road.
Now, attention turns to rebuilding for top-flight survival, but for the moment, Ipswich can celebrate a hard-earned return among England’s elite.
