Former Manchester United star believes Chelsea-linked Kieran McKenna is ready for the top job
Ashley Young believes Kieran McKenna is more than capable of now becoming a coach to one of the Premier League's biggest hitters.
He ipswich town The boss is heavily linked with a number of Premier League teams after plotting his team's promotion to the top flight, including the one which is now without a manager. Brighton and Chelsea.
talkSPORT understands Chelsea, who have just parted ways with Mauricio Pochettino, are admirers of McKenna but his move to Brighton is at an advanced stage.
McKenna is no stranger to a managerial challenge like the one that one of the big clubs would pose.
He has already achieved consecutive promotions with Ipswich from League One to the Premier League after having an unproven record as number one.
And when TalkSPORT's Drive's Andy Goldstein asked Young if his former manager could step up to another level and take on a top role in the Premier League, he backed him every step of the way.
Speaking live from the studio, Young said: “I think he has everything to be a top manager.
“As you say, I worked with him on manchester united and I saw how much passion he has for football, the love he has for it and how he wants to be successful.
“So obviously having been linked with jobs, Brighton, Manchester United, can he go to one of them now? I think he can.”
“He has been at United as a coach, he knows the club. Can he go to Brighton? Yes, he can.”
“He is seen as one of those managers. At Ipswich they want to play football, they want to be expansive, they want to be up front.
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“Obviously he's younger than me, he's one of those managers who wants to be successful. He's got everything it takes to be a successful manager, no disrespect to Ipswich, at a bigger club.”
McKenna served as Man United's under-18 coach from 2016 to 2018.
He then made the step up to the first team ahead of the 2018/19 season with former Man United player Michael Carrick, under the orders of Jose MourinhoOle Gunnar Solskjaer and finally Ralf Rangnick.
Young played with him during that time, but left midseason to Inter de Milan in 2020.
In December 2021, Ipswich snapped up McKenna, who had been floundering in League One. The rest is history.
