Kieran McKenna is a top six manager in the making and 'a dark horse' to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna is tipped to manage a top six team and could even be a contender for the Liverpool job.

That is the view of Peterborough president Darragh MacAnthony, who has waxed lyrical about McKenna, who has guided the Tractor Boys to the top of the Championship.

The Reds are considering options for replaces Jürgen Klopp and you may have noticed the excellent work done by McKenna on Portman Road, particularly after his Last-gasp 3-2 victory over Southampton.

After securing promotion from League One last season, McKenna earned the suffolk suit firmly on course for a second successive promotion that would take them back to the Premier League.

Ipswich are at the top of the table and lead leedsLeicester and Southampton in the hunt for automatic promotion – three teams with much deeper pockets after playing in the top flight last season.

While MacAnthony praised the Ipswich players, the 48-year-old insisted the formermanchester united The coach is destined for the top.

When asked by talkSPORT host Jim White if McKenna is determined to be a Premier League manager, MacAnthony said: “Yes, (producer) Luke was laughing at me in the studio, a Liverpool fanatic – this morning, as an external dark horse (to succeed Klopp).

“I love his style of football. I've been watching him since last year in League One and what he's done.

“You can say Ipswich is a big club, but they didn't go out and spend mega-millions in the summer.

“They kept a lot of the squad and the League One team and are at the top of the championship with five or six games left, it's really incredible.

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“It's not just about his way of training and managing, but also his style. It's great to see.

“If you saw that game yesterday, it was a great announcement for the industry. It was just non-stop. Russell (Martin) does a great job with Southampton and his style.

“Then there's Ipswich with their style and it was an exciting game to watch and that's what you want to see. I think they're destined for the top.”

“I think he will win promotion with Ipswich this year and surprise people with what he will do with them in the Premier League and within five or six years he will be managing a top six club.

“That is with all due respect to Ipswich. “I respect everything they've done there, but I don't think you can keep a guy like that forever.”

Asked if it gave him confidence that Peterborough could compete at that level, MacAnthony added: “Yes, well, we finished a few places behind Ipswich last year and they were a brilliant team and a brilliant squad.

“But I look at them and think there is an opportunity for us because it's not like Ipswich went out and paid £5m per player, but they were surgical in their transfer business.

“Yes, they paid a few pounds for some of them and they paid some salaries, but they have put together a great team and a couple of lads they have there you think: 'Would they make it to the championship' and they have adapted without problems.”

When asked who would come up, MacAnthony said: “I think Leeds will win the league.

“They have been on fire and I think they will win the league. I watched them against Hull and they weren't at their best and they still won.

“Leeds win the league and I hope Ipswich come second. “We've got a couple of hundred grand in a promotion bonus for Jack Taylor, which we sold to them, so fingers crossed for that!

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“So I hope Coventry get promoted in the play-offs because we sold them a player in January and we have a lot of good additions if they are in the Premier League.

“For clubs like us, it's really imperative to see it like this.”