Norwich City icon Chris Sutton fires Ipswich Town dig | OneFootball

Norwich City legend Chris Sutton has fired a dig at Ipswich Town following the Tractor Boys' promotion from the Championship to the Premier League

Ipswich Town sealed promotion from the Championship to the Premier League for the second time in three seasons on Saturday, but that hasn't stopped former Norwich City striker Chris Sutton poking fun at the Tractor Boys.

Kieran McKenna's men beat Queens Park Rangers 3-0 at Portman Road to ensure that they won automatic promotion alongside second-tier champions Coventry City.

The Tractor Boys finished just one point clear of Millwall, who head into the play-offs with momentum, having beaten Oxford United 2-0, courtesy of Femi Azeez's brace.

Ipswich's final day celebrations were sparked by goals from George Hirst, Jaden Philogene-Bidace, and summer signing Kasey McAteer.

Chris Sutton takes aim at Ipswich Town as Tractor Boys book Premier League spot

Ipswich boss McKenna has been under pressure this term, as the Tractor Boys were widely expected to challenge for an immediate Premier League return.

McKenna's first promotion from the Championship to the top flight came as a surprise, as it arrived just one year after the Portman Road club returned to the second tier from League One.

This time around, though, the 39-year-old was expected to take the Tractor Boys back to the Premier League, and he has delivered the goods once again.

McKenna is now tasked with ensuring that Ipswich are a better top-flight outfit next term than the side who were relegated back to the Championship last season.

The Portman Road club's last Premier League stint was woeful, as they earned just four wins in 38 league attempts, finishing 16 points adrift of safety.

Meanwhile, posting on X, Sutton has weighed in on how the Tractor Boys may perform in their top-flight return: "Fair play to Ipswich and Kieran McKenna.

"They’ll probably have a thoroughly miserable time, though, next season."

Having begun his career with Norwich, where he notched 35 goals in 102 appearances, Sutton has a natural dislike for Ipswich, which he has made clear once again.

Ipswich Town must learn lesson from 2024 summer transfer window

Ipswich achieved a remarkable feat when they clinched back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League in 2024.

However, the Tractor Boys subsequently failed to equip their squad for the top flight in the 2024 summer transfer window, which was a major contributing factor to their unwanted Championship return.

Except for striker Liam Delap, who scored 12 goals in 37 Premier League appearances for McKenna's men, the summer signings were unable to adjust to life in the top tier with the Portman Road club.

Ipswich's summer signings following their last promotion to the top flight included the likes of Jacob Greaves and Jack Clarke, who had proven their worth in the Championship with Hull City and Sunderland, respectively.

However, neither the defender nor the winger could bridge the gap between the second tier and the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Leeds United and Sunderland won promotion to the top flight one season after the Tractor Boys, and are both set to play their football in the Premier League next term.

Both the Whites and the Black Cats signed a mixture of players with experience in the English top tier and stars from abroad last summer.

Ipswich must now utilise a similar recruitment model to that of Leeds or Sunderland as they vie to survive in the Premier League this time around.