Former Leeds United boss Simon Grayson has chosen Kieran McKenna as his Manager of the Year – regardless of whether Ipswich Town are promoted to the Premier League.

The 54-year-old spent four years at Elland Road, guiding them out of League One in 2009/10. He left Elland Road in 2012 and had numerous spells at other Football League clubs, including the likes of Preston North End, Sunderland, Blackpool and Fleetwood Town, before spending 18 months at Indian Super League side Bengaluru.

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Grayson has clearly been impressed with what he’s seen from Town, who sit third in the table with 72 points from 34 games. He was quick to highlight that their resources are different to the recently relegated Premier League sides, and he believes that McKenna deserves extra praise and recognition as a result.

“The Manager of the Year award shouldn't always go to whoever wins the league,” he said via InsantCasinos.com. “There are managers with limited resources that do so well, and for that reason, Kieran McKenna would be my choice.

“Even if they fail to make the top two and get promoted, it has been amazing to see them in the top six for what feels like all of the season and play in the style that they do.”

That being said, Grayson has a strong affiliation with Leeds, and given Leicester City’s six-point buffer at the Championship summit, he thinks that the Blues will just fall short of automatic promotion, allowing the Whites and the Foxes to make an instant return to the top flight.

“With Leeds winning on Friday night along with Ipswich, then it drags Leicester into the mix (of falling out of the promotion places) again,” he explained. “I thought Leicester were home and hosed, which I think will probably still be the case, and a couple of defeats shouldn't change opinions, but football can leave us red-faced. 

“It will have given Leicester a little bit of anxiety with the negativity around performances and Enzo Maresca despite his immense success. That could have a detrimental impact on Leicester if they are not careful. 

“My heart says Leeds will go up with Leicester.”