Former Irish League star is supporting former teammate Kieran McKenna, a former member of the Northern Ireland youth international, to help Ipswich Town win the Premier League.
Written by Johnny Morton
Posted on June 1, 2024, at 13:54 BST
Updated at 14:33 BST on June 1, 2024
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At the 2005 U19 Euros, Kieran McKenna, the manager of Ipswich Town, captained Northern Ireland against Serbia. PIC: Pacemaker/Mark Pearce
At the 2005 U19 Euros, Kieran McKenna, the manager of Ipswich Town, captained Northern Ireland against Serbia. PIC: Pacemaker/Mark Pearce
Kieran McKenna and former Irish League star Thomas Stewart shared a changing room during their days as Northern Ireland youth internationals, so Stewart isn’t shocked by his success and believes he can help Ipswich Town win the Premier League.
The 38-year-old, who has worked for Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the past, helped Ipswich move from League One to the top division of England by winning back-to-back promotions. This week, he signed a new contract extension with the Portman Road team after being linked to several high-profile positions.
Fermanagh’s McKenna was a gifted midfielder who rose through the ranks at Spurs after leaving Ballinamallard United as a teenager. He played for his country at the youth level, captaining Northern Ireland in the U19 European Championships in 2005, before going on to have a successful coaching career.
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At the age of 22, McKenna’s promising playing career was tragically cut short by a persistent hip injury, but he’s still having a big impact on the game from the dugout, and Stewart has always known his former teammate has the necessary intelligence.
“I used to sit at the same tables with him and we were great friends back in the day when we had Northern Ireland,” he remarked. “When we were younger, we had the same scout and progressed through the Northern Ireland levels together.
“It’s unfortunate that he didn’t have a better career because he was a very talented player and working with some amazing managers has really helped him.”
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“When we had chats when we were younger, I always got the impression that he was a smart, well-educated man. We were the only two members of the U16 Victory Shield team, I believe, who were cut and later joined the U21 squad. He deserves all the respect I have, and he’s doing a fantastic job. I’m hoping the Premier League will be good for him.”
Having played for both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Old Trafford, McKenna is well-known for his offensive style of football; in the previous season, Ipswich scored more goals than any other Championship team, with 92.
Now that he will be up against the best in the world, Stewart is confident McKenna can handle this next challenge, as he has at every previous level.
“It seems like his team defeated Manchester United during his time at Spurs, and that’s how Mourinho hired him,” he continued. “By demonstrating his worth to everyone, he is now reaping the rewards of his actions.”
