Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna reacts to Celtic speculation

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The Celtic Star

·30 ottobre 2025

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna reacts to Celtic speculation

Sky Sports News earlier today pretty much ruled Ange Postecoglou out of the vacant Celtic job after Brendan Rodgers left the club earlier this week…

Ange Postecoglou, Manager of Nottingham Forest, looks on prior to the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD2 match between Nottingham Forest FC and FC Midtjylland at City Ground on October 02, 2025 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

That story had all the hallmarks of Postecoglou’s advisors letting it be know that this is not something that their man is going to contemplate after his sacking from both Tottenham and Nottingham Forest in the past few months.

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Ange has never been a manager who goes back to where he has been before and he probably has remaining ambitions beyond the backwater of the Scottish Premiership.

Celtic Chairman Peter Lawwell, Dermot Desmond, largest shareholder and Michael Nicholson CEO are seen during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

He also will be well aware of the reasons why Brendan Rodgers was unhappy with the Celtic Board and would realise that trying to achieve any sort of impact with Celtic on the European front would be almost impossible with the lack of ambition that any manager looking closely enough would recognise.

And remember Ange has seen under the bonnet and knows how Celtic PLC likes to run things.

Kieran McKenna, Manager of Ipswich Town, acknowledges the fans following the Premier League match between Ipswich Town FC and West Ham United FC at Portman Road on May 25, 2025 in Ipswich. (Photo by Harry Murphy/Getty Images)

So if not Ange then maybe Kieran McKenna and we’ve now heard from the Ipswich boss who became an early favourite and Ange Postecoglou started to drift in the betting. As his Ipswich media conference his afternoon McKenna had this to say, as reported by ITFC Published, about being linked with the Celtic job:

“It’s not something I’ve given any thought to or where any part of my concentration is,” Kieran McKenna said. “My focus is on Ipswich. I’m really privileged to be in the position that I am.”

Not an outright denial, just an admission that he’s given it any though and he’s privileged to be the Ipswich Town manager.

Things could change though by Celtic making formal contact with Ipswich to ask for permission to speak to their manager. That usually happens after two agents have had a discussion to ascertain whether there’s interest in the manager in question coming to the club. If that’s not happened you say exactly what McKenna said today.

Asked if he was a Celtic supporter growing up, McKenna ducked the question: “We all have different affinities with different clubs” and mentioned that the Hoops are a “really big club” he replied acknowledging that Celtic “is a really big club, we all have our affinities.”

So we’ll take that as a yes, then! He continued:

“I don’t think everyone has to go around announcing what they are, the clubs that we support, the clubs we follow. But of course it’s a really big club. We’re in a really important stage of the season so I haven’t watched a lot of other football this week.

“I haven’t watched the Carabao Cup during the week or too much else apart from QPR’s games this season,” Kieran McKenna said.

Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney celebrate Celtic’s opening goal during the Premier League match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Meanwhile Martin O’Neill’s odds has shortened considerably today after an impressive start last night in a 4-0 win over Falkirk at Celtic Park where the football played by Celtic was entertaining and attacking just like the Celtic support wants to see.

Kieran McKenna on him being linked to the Celtic job: “It’s not something I’ve given any thought to or where any part of my concentration is.” “My focus is on Ipswich. I’m really privileged to be in the position that I am.” #itfc #celticfc
– giovedì 30 ottobre 2025

More details on this Ipswich Town media conference as it relates to Celtic comes from reporter Ben Jacobs who has posted the full quotes from Kieran McKenna, as shown below.

“We’ve got a lot of Scottish representatives here today! It’s not something [the Celtic vacancy]I have given any thought to, or where any part of my concentration is. I have a special job here at a special football club. It’s a massive club. We’re at a really important stage of the season starting on Saturday at QPR.

“My focus has been 100 percent on the group here. My focus is honestly just on Ipswich. I know the size and significance of this football club. So there is no time or space to discuss any other football club.

Kieran McKenna, Manager of Ipswich Town, applauds the fans following the Championship match between Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town at Riverside Stadium on October 17, 2025. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

“I have not had any of those [formal]conversations [with Celtic]. My focus has been here. I’ll work here as if I am going to be here forever, and I have done since the day I came here. When I arrived, I always knew it was going to be a long-term project. We are sill in the middle of that.

“I approach this job like I’ll be Ipswich manager forever. I know that’s not always going to be the case, but I’ll always do my best as long as I am here…

“[Celtic] is a really big football club. Growing up, we all have our affinities. I don’t think everyone has to go around and announce the club they support, but of course it’s a really big football club, but we are in a really busy stage of our own season.”

Kieran McKenna, Manager of Ipswich Town, applauds the fans following the Premier League match between Ipswich Town FC and Brentford FC at Portman Road on May 10, 2025. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Mckenna also asked about his reported £5m release clause: “In every manager’s contract there are always contractual things. I don’t know what they are, and if I did I wouldn’t tell you anyway!”

🗣️ Kieran McKenna says he's focused on Ipswich despite being linked with the Celtic vacancy. He goes on to call Celtic "a big club". "We've got a lot of Scottish representatives here today! It's not something [the Celtic vacancy] I have given any thought to, or where any part of
– giovedì 30 ottobre 2025

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Celtic in the Eighties and Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style both by David Potter. Photo The Celtic Star

Danny McGrain signing copies of Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Photo: Celtic Star Books