Kieran McKenna has decided to leave his position as Ipswich Town head coach, opting to step away from football entirely.
According to Sky Sports, the 40-year-old manager will not be moving to Fulham or any other club for the foreseeable future.
This development comes despite McKenna being the Cottagers’ primary candidate to succeed Marco Silva in the dugout.
The Northern Irishman had recently guided the Tractor Boys back to the top flight at the first time of asking following their relegation.
Kieran McKenna has stepped down as Ipswich Town boss
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His departure marks the end of a transformative spell at Portman Road that began in December 2021.
Ipswich have secured financial safeguards should their former boss decide to return to management within the next year.
The Suffolk club would receive compensation reflecting the time remaining on McKenna’s contract up to the 12-month point, with the sum currently valued at roughly £7m.
Reports had previously indicated that Fulham were considering activating an £8m release clause to secure his services.
The west London outfit had also explored the possibility of appointing former Brentford and Tottenham manager Thomas Frank, though the Dane has since confirmed he will not be returning to the dugout this summer.
Kieran McKenna previously worked under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Man Utd | PA
McKenna inherited a club languishing in mid-table of the third tier, arriving just 24 hours after an embarrassing FA Cup exit to Barrow.
From those difficult beginnings, he steadied the ship before orchestrating consecutive promotions that ended Ipswich’s 22-year absence from English football’s elite division in 2024.
That summer brought interest from Chelsea, Manchester United and Brighton, yet the former Old Trafford assistant chose to remain loyal, penning a lucrative four-year deal.
His coaching pedigree includes working alongside Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick during five years at United.
Despite suffering immediate relegation upon their Premier League return, McKenna delivered another promotion this season.
