Ipswich Town have confirmed the appointment of Gary O’Neil as their new manager, succeeding Kieran McKenna. The 41-year-old coach leaves Strasbourg, the team he managed to the Conference League semi-finals last season, to take over the Tractor Boys in their return to the Premier League.
McKenna, who left his role at the beginning of the month, led Ipswich to 2nd place in the Championship in 2025/26, immediately after relegation from the top flight the previous season. In more than five years at Portman Road, McKenna has played 222 games in all competitions, with 106 wins (60 draws and 56 losses), corresponding to a win rate of 47.3%.
O’Neil signed a three-year contract and his main objective will be to stabilize the club in the elite, something that Ipswich has not achieved in consecutive seasons since 2000/01 and 2001/02. "It's an honor to be appointed manager of this great club. I've followed Ipswich's progress closely over the last few years and now having the opportunity to lead the team in the Premier League makes me really excited. There's a strong vision and ambition at the club and I'm fully aware of the responsibility, for what it means for the fans and the community of Ipswich and Suffolk. We all know the challenge that lies ahead as we prepare for the season together and I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and getting to work," said the new manager.
O’Neil’s career as a head coach took off at Bournemouth, where he secured a Premier League stay in 2022/23 against expectations, although he was later replaced by Andoni Iraola. That was followed by Wolverhampton, leading Wolves to an encouraging 14th-place finish in 2023/24 and the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. A negative start to 2024/25 dictated his departure.
Arrived at Strasbourg in January, to replace Liam Rosenior, O’Neil missed the top-7 of Ligue 1 and European qualification by just one point last season, before accepting the invitation from Ipswich.