Ipswich Town: How Kieran McKenna really feels about selling Jack Clarke as Sheffield United lurk | OneFootball

Jack Clarke has been linked with a move to Sheffield United amid Ipswich Town's promotion

Those at Ipswich Town will still be celebrating the club's return to the Premier League, after a 3-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the season was enough to see the Tractor Boys return to the top-flight at the first time of asking.

Its job done for Ipswich, who will once again be a Premier League side next season.

Kieran McKenna has masterminded three promotions in four years since taking charge at Portman Road, and whilst this particular promotion hasn't been as scintillating as many would have predicted, few around Suffolk will care.

Preparations for next season will have already begun, as McKenna assesses his current squad as to who will be staying and who will be leaving, as well as areas for improvement which they will look to remedy in the window.

English winger Jack Clarke played in every single league game for Ipswich this season, albeit only half of those were starts, and despite this, the former Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur winger has already seen himself linked with a move back to the second tier with Sheffield United, as McKenna has made his feelings on the 25-year-old known.

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has made his feelings known about Jack Clarke amid Sheffield United switch speculation

Clarke finished the season as Ipswich's top scorer, with 16 goals in the Championship, bettered only by Zan Vipotnik of Swansea City (23), Coventry City's Haji Wright (17), and Hull City's Oli McBurnie (17), finishing level with Wrexham's Josh Windass.

His mere 23 league starts are by far the lowest of those aforementioned players, and had he started more regularly for McKenna, there is every chance he could have finished much closer to Vipotnik on 23.

With Jaden Philogene also best playing off the left like Clarke, the pair have seen their game time juggled by McKenna, and upon their promotion, the Northern Irish boss must make a big decision regarding the future of the two.

As Sheffield United prepare to make an ambitious move for Clarke, McKenna has made his feelings on the winger clear, saying all the way back in October: "I've spoken with Jack. He's already shown that he can be a really good player in the Championship. What we want him to be, what we believe he can be, what he wants to be is a really good Premier League player.

"To do that he had to, and he has to, develop from where he was 18 months ago in his all round game - his off the ball work, his defending, his resilience, all those things.

"I spoke to him about this season. Whether he plays 30 starts, 25 starts, or 25 starts, it's probably not going to be the decisive thing in him taking a step towards possibly being a Premier League player again and helping the club take a step towards being a Premier League club again.

"It's about how he works every day, how he can keep improving his game, how he deals with different situations. He's doing all those things. He knows some weeks he'll do it from the start and he knows that some weeks he'll do it from the bench.

"I think he's a much better, more rounded player than the one who arrived and that player was already a good Championship player. It's not like he's got anything to improve at this level. He's just on his journey to becoming the best player that he can be."

Indeed, Clarke shone in the latter stages of the season when Ipswich needed him most, with his late cameo appearance away to Southampton a particular highlight, scoring, hitting the post, and forcing the Saints' shot-stopper Daniel Peretz into a ridiculous save in added time.

At 25, Clarke has yet to prove himself in the Premier League and will be aiming to do so next season with Ipswich, though with Sheffield United lurking, it's not quite clear at this stage what Ipswich's stance on him is.

McKenna clearly rates him, and it would be a surprise to see him leave Portman Road this summer, but as the weeks go on, the situation will become clearer.

Kieran McKenna must make a big call on the future of Jack Clarke this summer

As Ipswich prepare to make the jump to the top-flight once again, McKenna will have to make some big calls in regard to some of his playing squad.

Clarke, despite finishing as the club's top-scorer, will be no exception to that, as the Northern Irish boss weighs up what his team may look like next season, and who he believes is capable of having a positive impact in the Premier League.

McKenna has already previously stated his belief that Clarke can become a Premier League player, and at 25, the winger may finally get a real chance to prove his worth in the top tier this summer. With Sheffield United lurking, McKenna must be steadfast in his decision on the Englishman.