Town boss Kieran McKenna is reportedly on the radar of Scottish champions Celtic as they look for a new manager to replace Ange Postecoglou, who left to take the Tottenham job yesterday.

According to the Daily Record, the Parkhead club are targeting Manchester City assistant coach Enzo Maresca but with a number of other options, including McKenna, also under consideration.

Maresca, 43, is said to be keen to return to frontline management but with nothing likely to happen until after City’s Champions League final with Inter Milan on Saturday.

Former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter is another to have been linked with the role along with Bodo Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen, while speculation that Brendan Rodgers might make a return to Glasgow now appears less likely.

Maresca, who was previously boss at Parma and has also had spells as assistant at West Ham, Ascoli and Sevilla, has also been linked with the vacancy at Leicester City in recent days with McKenna having been similarly mentioned as among the potential alternatives for the Foxes.

Both reports appear little more than speculation at this stage, although McKenna’s success with the Blues and growing reputation within the game certain to draw serious interest from elsewhere at some stage. Recently relegated Leeds United are another club who are searching for a manager and McKenna will similarly be among those in their thoughts as they look to fill their vacancy.

The Northern Irishman, 37, is currently contracted to the Blues until the summer of 2025 having taken charge in December 2021.

Asked whether Town are looking at extending his contract in March, CEO Mark Ashton told TWTD: “I think we all want to see Kieran here for the foreseeable future. He’s happy, he’s got a job to do.

“We don’t really talk about it. That will take care of itself at the right time. But I think one of our biggest strengths is our stability.

“I think you’ve seen me now, I’m not wild in my decision-making, we’re processed, we try and be methodical.

“That steady calmness of the overall club is key and I think if you look at both the Championship and the Premier League this year, they’ve been wilder than I can remember, wilder than I have ever seen before.

“There are a number of clubs who have appointed two managers in quick succession. Are they appointing a young manager? Are they appointing a coach? Are they appointing a more senior manager? What’s the DNA of the football club?

“And I think as a manager, and I’m not talking about Kieran specifically, just a manager, sometimes it’s not about the club, it’s about the people. And I think here, you’ve got a blend of both.

“You’ve got an incredibly historic, big, passionate football club with solid rock steady people, who are going to steer a steady ship and give the manager, as I say to Kieran, the oxygen to do his job.

“I’m not at the training ground every day. He never gets a conversation with me about picking the team, it’s his domain.

“I know what my role is, he knows what his role is and we work professionally together to get the best from the football club, that’s exactly the way it should be.

“He doesn’t need me watching training every day, although he happily says to come and watch. But I’ve got all this to do. We’ve got professionals there to support each other. I’d like to see him and his staff here for the long term.”

Photo: Pagepix

afcfee added 12:18 - Jun 7 Fat_Boy_Tim Well the last striker we signed who couldn't get in the Celtic team didn't do too bad for us did he! But seriously for an Irishman Celtic is what Real Madrid And Barca is To the south Americans
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cranky_old_tractor added 12:27 - Jun 7 Naturally KM is likely to be associated with any upcoming vacancy. Cannot see why Scottish Prem when the English Prem beckons! Sorry Scotland but if KM really wants to prove his worth, staying south of the border is more than likely where he will stay. And his attachment to ITFC from last season and the backing of a super management team will (hopefully) be sufficient glue that will stick him at IP1.

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Broadbent23 added 12:31 - Jun 7 KMC has a legacy to achieve and reach the standards of Sir Alf and Sir Bobby. So please stop all this paparazzi garbage. We need new press standards unless the rumour is proven do not utter a word. All the blue fans last season who spent a lot following the team do not want KMC to go. Eagerly awaiting the new fixtures with KMC at the helm.
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ringwoodblue added 12:37 - Jun 7 Can't see Kieran leaving Town for another year at least. If he does very well in the Championship there will be many offers coming in for him. Let's hope he can steer us to promotion and can progress with the club rather than be tempted to go elsewhere.
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Billericay12 added 12:50 - Jun 7 Celtic are a big club but with little competition. Almost guaranteed success for any half decent manager but I can't see why he would want to leave Ipswich right now. Phase one of the project is complete. Phase two starts now and I think there is enough ambition and financial backing at the club to match his own. If he left now I am sure it would feel like leaving the job unfinished. If he gets us to the Promised land it might be a different story if he feels he cannot take us any further. He is a Top man and going nowhere yet.

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algarvefan added 13:04 - Jun 7 If Celtic and Tottenham were the other way around then we might be at risk of losing him, but to Celtic, I don't think so, we all know Scottish football is Championship level at best. He has started a task I think he will want to complete. Summer time non story.
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JohnTy added 13:10 - Jun 7 Similar article re Leicester job. https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/would-be-a-significant-coup-leicester-city-con
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Monkey_Blue added 13:13 - Jun 7 Celtic offer champions league football and huge crowds but I think the championship is where McKenna will see himself progressing as a coach as the standard is higher and with a much deeper pool of capable opposition. McKenna won't be interested at this stage of his career imho.
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Nazemariner added 13:13 - Jun 7 Joyousblue......It's not really a stupid comment is it? Celtic is a huge club that can that offers the potential of a Champions League night at Europes top clubs. Of course i hope there is nothing in this story and that he stays at ITFC for years to come, but it can be a short career for some managers, and opportunities like this don't come around too often.
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tractorbot added 13:23 - Jun 7 Thanks for the story Phil. It's not remotely boring for me. Any Town content is very much appreciated and I'd very much like to see more on TWTD to fill the gap since EADT's content is now hidden behind a pay wall.
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Sandman180 added 13:24 - Jun 7 Bound to start getting linked to bigger jobs after a season of season, it's the nature of the game. The Celtic job has come too soon, and there will be a bigger name appointed there, I guess with Leicester you could see the appeal, potentially, but given town will be operating at the same level this season, they'd have to offer him a pretty attractive deal to curtail the current project he's heading here you'd of thought. 90% sure he'll be here in August - let's hope so anyway.

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BurleysGloryDays added 13:26 - Jun 7 People saying KMK will leave for Celtic.... The Scottish league is awful. It's League 1 Level teams and two massive clubs (that should be in the Prem). It's insanely dull and largely pointless. Champions League football is an attraction - but i think KMK is more interested in testing himself weekly.
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TimmyH added 13:48 - Jun 7 Chortle!...he won't go there, 1 other team to beat in that league, waste of time.
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NorthLondonBlue2 added 13:58 - Jun 7 KMK is always going to be linked to bigger clubs but he would be mad to move now; he's done really, really well here but the Championship will be a much bigger test. We have the patience to indulge him if things don't go smoothly next season and he will learn from that. A poor first season with anyone else and he will be dropped very quickly. I'd like to see him get us up to the PL in the next 2-3 seasons and if one of the big 5 then come knocking, so be it.

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NorthLondonBlue2 added 13:58 - Jun 7 KMK is always going to be linked to bigger clubs but he would be mad to move now; he's done really, really well here but the Championship will be a much bigger test. We have the patience to indulge him if things don't go smoothly next season and he will learn from that. A poor first season with anyone else and he will be dropped very quickly. I'd like to see him get us up to the PL in the next 2-3 seasons and if one of the big 5 then come knocking, so be it.

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John_Grose added 14:13 - Jun 7 Can't see him wanting to move to non-league. Will stay at ITFC in the second biggest league in the UK.
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BobbyBell added 14:30 - Jun 7 Why go to a league where only 2 clubs can compete and a league title is pretty well assured or compete in the Championship with big games week in week out and maybe get promoted to the best league in the world. It's a no brainer.
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oldelsworthyfan added 14:49 - Jun 7 Taking the Celtic job (even if offered)? KMK's not daft!
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ChrisR added 15:18 - Jun 7 Paul Lambert not on the radar then ? As a relegation specialist he could make the Scottish Premier a lot more interesting , and also they would finally understand what the heck he is saying ?
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blues1 added 15:24 - Jun 7 Afcfee. So you think every Irishman supports celtic? Don't think so. And Mckenna is a Man utd fan anyway.
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blueboy1981 added 16:28 - Jun 7 Do we really need this Media hype repeated on here ? - Football is Football, Managers come, Managers go, Media are Parasitic, much of it ‘created' News by themselves to sell space. What will be, will be, for us and every other Club.
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blueboy1981 added 16:35 - Jun 7 Oh Well ! - it's kicked the Hissy Fit Keyboarders off …. if nowt else !
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barrystedmunds added 17:34 - Jun 7 Love the comment “ some worry the Leicester job may be too big for him” !!! Really! Leicester!!
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PhuketPete added 18:15 - Jun 7 Fa fee.. possibly you're right (although plenty in the north would not agree) but fact remains, fir all its recent wins, Celtic is still only the #2 club in a Scotland. Rangers remains #1. It's a bit like comparing Ipswich and Norwich. They've had a decent run lately but at the end of the day they've still won nothing and we all know who the real kings of anglia are.💙🚜⚽️

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Eeyore added 19:22 - Jun 7 McKenna wouldn't be stupid enough to waste his time in the SPL 😂
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