Premier League — Ipswich appoint Gary O’Neill as manager ahead of return to top level

Ipswich hired Gary O’Neil as their new manager on Tuesday after Kieran McKenna resigned following promotion to the Premier League.

The Englishman O’Neil comes over from the French club Strasbourg with a three-year contract.

The 43-year-old took Strasbourg to the semi-finals of the UEFA Conference League last season – the first time the team had ever reached the last four of a European competition – and oversaw an eighth-place finish in Ligue 1.

Before moving to France, O’Neil managed both Bournemouth and Wolves in the Premier League, securing their top-flight status in his first seasons at both clubs.

Survival will be O’Neil’s aim in the coming campaign after Ipswich won promotion from the Championship on the final day of the season as McKenna’s men dispatched Millwall to second place.

McKenna, who failed to keep Ipswich in the Premier League in the 2024/25 season, surprisingly retired on June 10 after five years at Portman Road.

“I have closely followed the progress the club has made over the last few years and to now have the opportunity to manage Ipswich Town in the Premier League is something I am extremely excited about,” said O’Neil.

“There is a strong vision and ambition at this club and I am fully aware of the responsibility that brings, given how much it means to the supporters and to the community of Ipswich and Suffolk.

“We all know the challenge ahead as we prepare for the season together and I look forward to meeting everyone and getting started.”

O’Neil’s managerial career started just four games into the 2022-2023 season when he was appointed interim boss at Bournemouth, where he worked as a backroom staff.

The former West Ham and Portsmouth midfielder was offered the job permanently in November 2022 after masterminding an improved run that guaranteed Bournemouth’s survival.

He left Bournemouth at the end of that season, but Wolves signed him in 2023 and he enjoyed a solid debut season at Molineux, finishing 14th in the Premier League.

O’Neil was sacked by Wolves in 2024 after a disappointing start to the following season.

O’Neil, who was appointed by Strasbourg in January this year, convinced Ipswich through his work in France to bring the Englishman back home.

The decision has not been universally welcomed by Ipswich fans, who have branded his arrival as uninspiring.

But Ipswich chairman Mark Ashton is confident the move will pay off.

“He is a manager who has been on our radar for some time. He is highly motivated, highly regarded, has incredible attention to detail and tactical knowledge and is an excellent coach with a real track record of improving players,” said Ashton.

“He brings with him a hunger and desire to succeed at the highest level of the game and, with the full support of everyone at the club, I am excited to see what we can achieve together.”

Published on June 23, 2026