Gary O’Neil named Ipswich manager on three-year deal | OneFootball

Ipswich have appointed former Wolves head coach Gary O’Neil on a three-year deal as they prepare for their return to the Premier League.

According to ExpressAndStar.com, the 43-year-old arrives from Strasbourg and is contracted until the summer of 2029.

He took over at Wolves in August 2023 and departed with the side in 19th place, four points behind fourth-bottom Crystal Palace. His exit followed a 2-1 home loss to Ipswich, their fourth straight league defeat and an 11th in 16.

The previous season he guided Wolves to 14th, beating Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, and reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals. A late Coventry City comeback, when they were in the Championship, denied a Wembley trip and, despite a new long-term deal, signalled his decline at Molineux.

O’Neil replaces Kieran McKenna, who announced earlier this month he would step down after five years. McKenna had taken Ipswich up automatically last season, a year after top-flight relegation.

At Strasbourg he reached the semi-finals of the Conference League and Coupe de France. He is the 20th manager in the club’s 90-year history and will be assisted by Tim Jenkins, Neil Critchley and Ed Ames, who all worked with him in France.

He called the role an honour, said he had followed Ipswich’s progress, and spoke of shared ambition, responsibility to supporters and eagerness to get to work.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com