Ipswich players 'thankful' for McKenna stay

Ipswich Town skipper Sam Morsy says nan club's players are "thankful" head Kieran McKenna will lead nan nine successful nan Premier League adjacent season.

McKenna, 38, has overseen an unthinkable emergence pinch back-to-back promotions, pinch nan Suffolk nine group to play top-flight shot adjacent play for nan first clip successful 22 years.

The Northern Irishman was linked pinch nan Chelsea occupation past month, but alternatively signed a caller four-year deal astatine Portman Road.

“It is really important to support him," Morsy told BBC Sport.

"It was good publicised he could person gone to immoderate large clubs, but he has made history present anyway.

"It is bully that he will proceed nan travel pinch america and it would person been a shame if he didn’t do it.

"In nan extremity he has astir apt thought he has played a immense domiciled successful it and we are thankful he tin transportation on."

In his 2 afloat seasons astatine Ipswich, McKenna's broadside person played an expansive marque of shot that has seen them summation promotion pinch successive second-placed finishes, scoring 101 goals successful League One and 92 successful nan Championship.

They vanished supra nan likes of Leeds United and Southampton successful nan table, though nan Saints joined nan Tractor Boys successful nan Premier League courtesy of victory successful nan Play-Off final.

The achievements person made erstwhile Manchester United coach McKenna 1 of nan astir highly-rated and sought-after managers successful nan English game, earning nan League Managers Association's head of nan twelvemonth award.

“The head and unit person built a really competitory culture, 1 of ownership pinch everyone having a sound and togetherness," added Morsey.

"We bespeak that successful everything we do, we person worked difficult each time and looked to improve.

"We person managed to enactment strong, enactment brave and we’ve done it nan correct way. It is an unthinkable accomplishment particularly erstwhile you see we person vanished supra immoderate heavyweights successful nan division. To do back-to-backs is incredible."

Egypt world midfielder Morsy dropped down to nan 3rd tier by joining Ipswich from Middlesbrough successful 2021 and felt his chances of playing successful nan Premier League had "gone".

On Saturday he captained shot organisation Nujum Sports, arsenic they faced an XI led by ex-Aston Villa winger Anwar el Ghazi successful a kindness lucifer successful London to raise costs for nan children of Gaza.

Speaking astatine nan match, Morsy, 32, added: “To play successful nan Premier League myself will beryllium typical and was a large extremity personally. There were times I thought I would go a Premier League subordinate and different times I thought wouldn’t.

"We are present now and it is simply a awesome achievement, particularly for a awesome nine pinch a apical manager. The fans person been unthinkable and everyone agreed to do thing special.

“You conscionable person to look astatine nan clubs that person gone up this season, each would person thought they could past but nan Premier League is simply a different game. Survival successful our first play would beryllium a immense success.”