Kieran McKenna (37) is making a name for himself in the coaching world after Ipswich recently became Premier League ready following two successive promotions.
The transformation that Solskjaer's former assistant has made during his two-and-a-half years at the club has left the British media, players and managers stunned.
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The Athletic has, among others, included the 37-year-old in its list above The best young coaches in footballNow it seems that many top clubs are starting to open their eyes to McKenna.
On Wednesday, The Guardian reported that Manchester United have already begun talks with McKenna, who is seen as a potential candidate if Ten Hag leaves the club this summer.
– No development
Sports journalist David Ornstein has a better idea of what's happening in the transfer market than most people.
When he was a guest on Sky Sports' Back Pages podcast, the United link became a topic:
– I can imagine he is one of the many names they are looking at if a manager change becomes relevant. McKenna is young, something Sir Jim Ratcliffe would want if the club appointed a new manager. He performed fantastically well at Ipswich, and has close links with Manchester United, Ornstein says.
But despite the words of praise, it does not look very likely that the 37-year-old will be in the manager's chair at Old Trafford next season.
– From what I heard, there has been no move from Manchester United in the direction of McKenna. As of today, the matter is not expected to develop further, Ornstein says.
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Solskjaer: – I learned a lot from him
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was full of praise for his former assistant when he was interviewed by The Athletic last year.
He could tell he didn't know who he was before they started working together, but he admitted he was pleasantly surprised.
Kieran was unknown to me when I came to United. Michael [Carrick] I knew before. He and I were both trained by Sir Alex [Ferguson]And he was old school. Kieran wasn't like that. Solskjaer explained that he is the most comprehensive, most analytical, step-by-step and process-oriented manager I have ever worked with.
Manchester United have occasionally been criticized for not having a clear attacking plan under Solskjaer, but they have usually been solid defensively.
If we are to believe the Christian miracle, McKenna must get a large share of the credit for bringing it about.
Defensive organization is one of his strongest points, and I let him bear responsibility for that in training. I learned a lot from him when it comes to defensive structure and not conceding goals, explains Solskjaer, adding:
So I was not surprised when he played nine consecutive matches without conceding a single goal earlier this season.
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