Kieran McKenna says he’s fully focused on his job at Ipswich Town, insisting there have been no formal conversations with Celtic.
McKenna is under consideration for the manager’s job at Parkhead following Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation. After taking Ipswich Town from League One to the Premiership, he is considered one of the top coaches down south.
At his regular Ipswich media conference, McKenna remarked on the number of Scottish journalists amongst the assembled press, and he was asked about the links with the Premiership club.
“It’s not something [the Celtic vacancy] I have given any thought to, or where any part of my concentration is,” the 39-year-old said.
“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% 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.”
However, McKenna, who is understood to have grown up supporting Celtic, acknowledged the size of the Parkhead club and “affinities”.
“I have not had any of those [formal] conversations [with Celtic],” he said. “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 still 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.”
The Ipswich boss also responded to reports that there is a £5m release clause in his Ipswich deal.
“In every manager’s contract, there are always contractual things,” he said. “I don’t know what they are, and if I did, I wouldn’t tell you anyway!”
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