Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has claimed that he didn’t need to be convinced to sign a new contract, having been linked with some of the biggest clubs in the country.

The 38-year-old was subject to intense speculation, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion all reportedly keen to bring him in after he helped the Blues secure back-to-back promotions.

CEO Mark Ashton was asked what he had to do to convince McKenna to stay, but before he could formulate an answer, the manager quickly interjected.

The interest in him was inevitable, he argued, and while he had a decision to make about his future, he explained that he didn’t need anyone to remind him of what he’s got at Town.

“It’s not about convincing,” McKenna told Town TV. “I’ve had fantastic relationships with Mark and with everyone at the football club. I don’t need Mark or anyone to tell me about the fantastic opportunity, relationships and environment that I’ve got here.

“From my point of view, it’s not about convincing. Sometimes it’s a personal decision, and part of that personal decision is feeling the fantastic support that I have felt.”

East Anglian Daily Times: CEO Mark Ashton admitted that there was 'a lot of external noise' surrounding McKenna's futureCEO Mark Ashton admitted that there was 'a lot of external noise' surrounding McKenna's future (Image: PA)

“He’s spot on,” Ashton added. The last couple of weeks can't have been easy for him. Not only did he have to manage the speculation, but he also had to discuss McKenna’s future and put plans in place for stepping up to the Premier League.

“There’s been a lot to talk about because, when we’re in the season, we’ve got Saturday – Tuesday, Saturday – Wednesday games,” he explained.

“Everything is around winning and we’ve had to have debates around planning for next season, what next season looks like. We’ve had to have debates about the training ground, debates around Portman Road, debates around players.

“With success brings challenges. I accept that there’s been a lot of external noise, but that noise hasn’t been particularly internal.

“I’ve said this so many times to the fans, and I’m so grateful to the amount of fans that have written in to remind me: ‘You’ve told us to trust the process, Mark. Trust the process yourself.’

“I think the frustration of it is that you want to talk to the fans at times and at times you can’t because you’ve got to get on with your work. But again, don’t listen to the external noise, don’t listen to media or social media – the club will tell you what’s happening as soon as we can.

“I’m delighted that Kieran and his staff have signed. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”