Kieran McKenna: Ex-Man United coach primed for stunning return

Manchester United have identified former coach Kieran McKenna as a leading candidate to replace Ruben Amorim — but another “world-class” manager has been ruled out of the process, a new report reveals.

McKenna is currently the manager of Ipswich Town, having led the Suffolk side all the way to the Premier League last season after swapping Old Trafford for Portman Road in December 2021.

The Northern Irish coach was a highly regarded member of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ‘s backroom staff, with McKenna and Michael Carrick leading training at Carrington and credited with a major tactical influence on the team. He has previously been praised by Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson — a reflection of an already burgeoning reputation so early in his career.

United were keen for the former midfielder – whose playing career was cut short by a hip injury – to remain with the club, but the prospect of the hot seat at Ipswich was too attractive for an ambitious, but inexperienced, coach.

It proved a masterstroke for the Tractor Boys, however, with McKenna implementing a style of football that was as attractive as it was effective. Back-to-back promotions took Ipswich from League One to the Premier League, and while the 39-year-old was not able to avoid relegation among England’s elite last year, his reputation remains unblemished, given the size of the challenge.

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McKenna remained in place as the club dropped back into the Championship, despite interest from other sides in the Premier League. But it has proven a wise decision, with Ipswich currently third, just two points off automatic promotion at the halfway point of a gruelling campaign.

Stability is essential for a young manager to hone their skill set, while a club free of pressure and expectation — such as a League One side, as Ipswich were when McKenna arrived — is the perfect environment for development.

Portman Road has allowed McKenna to develop into one of the best young coaches in Britain , regardless of nationality — and it has created the possibility of a sensational return to Old Trafford.

United under-18s coach Darren Fletcher has taken charge of the senior side as INEOS search for a permanent caretaker to appoint until the end of the season.

Ironically, it is two of McKenna’s former colleagues, Solskjaer and Carrick, who are the leading frontrunners for the interim role, though Fletcher remaining in place cannot be ruled out either as the 41-year-old Scot has impressed club officials this week.

But United will wait until the summer before a long-term replacement for Amorim is sourced, when the pool of candidates will grow after the season, and World Cup, ends.

Targets are already being established, however, with Caught Offside revealing McKenna features highly on INEOS’s shortlist.

The report states “five main candidates” are being internally discussed at Old Trafford, with Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner the “heavy favourite”. But McKenna is also in the frame, alongside Thomas Tuchel , Enzo Maresca and Andoni Iraola.

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique , who won FIFA’s Best Coach of the Year award in December, was also linked as a blockbuster option for the Red Devils.

Caught Offside have ruled out this prospect, however, stating the Spaniard is “not currently a name being explored”. But the report does reveal he is “expected to leave PSG this summer,” which suggests it cannot be ruled out.

United opting for McKenna — an outstanding young coach with a modern philosophy and intimate knowledge of Old Trafford — would be an exciting appointment.

But it would also be a risk, given his lack of experience at the top level, and INEOS are still smarting from their most recent risky decision, to replace Erik ten Hag with Amorim, another young coach with zero experience at a big club.

It feels unlikely, therefore, that United’s rulers will summon their former coach for a dramatic return to helm. It’s a move which would simply come too early in McKenna’s career and would benefit neither him nor the club.

Now, if there was even the faintest prospect of Enrique being available, that would be a move which would revolutionise the Red Devils, benefitting every player and fan in the Old Trafford area.

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