McKenna: Assistant Pert Really Important Friday, 18th Feb 2022 16:46 Blues boss Kieran McKenna has spoken about his relationship with his assistant Martyn Pert, who also joined Town from Manchester United in mid-December. Pert, 44, had been a first-team coach at Old Trafford since July 2019 working alongside McKenna under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and briefly Ralf Rangnick before following the Northern Irishman to Portman Road. McKenna was asked whether it was a long-term plan that Norfolk-born one-time Norwich City youngster Pert would be part of his staff. “It wasn’t something we had discussed too much because obviously we were both very much encompassed in our role at Manchester United and both very much focused on our work there,” he said. “But knowing that I wanted to take the step into management and knowing the qualities of an assistant manager I would want, he was certainly someone always in the back of my mind. I always had in my head that Martyn would certainly be somebody who would fit those criteria. “He’s obviously had experience in the role before, he’s a very, very good person, loyal, humble, a really good worker, also a really good understanding of football, not just from a technical and tactical perspective but a really good understanding of football clubs and the inner workings of football clubs from the vast range of experiences he’s had. “He’s really important to me, I’m delighted to have him here. He’s a fantastic assistant manager for me to have, especially at this stage in my career, my first job in management, and he’s a really part of everything that I do day-to-day here and I’m delighted to have him on board.” Are you similar characters? “He’s a probably a little bit, I wouldn’t say calmer than me because I’m quite calm, but Martyn is very considered, very, very considered. “I can be a little bit more fiery with maybe a little bit more of, I don’t know whether you can call it an Irish temperament at times. Martyn’s got more of a Suffolk temperament on a day-to-day basis. “There’s a nice balance in that way and he’s obviously from a completely different part of the world and with a different upbringing to me and he’s had a wide range of experiences. “I think it’s been well publicised, he’s travelled the world, travelled a lot in Europe but also in South America to learn about different styles of play and different styles of coaching. “He’s really well connected across the footballing world really. His contact book throughout the football industry always amazes me, to be honest. He knows a lot of people and he’s really strong in that aspect. “It’s nice I guess to have somebody who has had some similar experiences to me but then also to come from a different angle. “A lot of my upbringing has been in academy football and development football and he’s been in first-team football in and around promotions and relegations probably since he was in his mid-to-late 20s. “We’re coming from slightly different angles and have different experiences and I feel like we’re able to put them in different pathways together and hopefully we make a good team at the moment.”
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