Nicky Butt has named Kieran McKenna as the best coach he has ever seen.
The Ipswich Town boss has guided the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions since his arrival in 2021.
He was even linked with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United in the summer before signing a new four-year deal at Portman Road.
Butt previously worked alongside McKenna during their time together at United.
McKenna was a scout, under-18s boss and assistant manager during his time at Old Trafford.
He served under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jose Mourinho as well as temporary managers Ralf Rangnick and Michael Carrick across five years with the Red Devils.
Meanwhile, former United midfielder Butt spent time as the club’s academy manager and director of development during the same period.
The ex-England international was full of praise for McKenna as he appeared on White & Jordan.
He explained: “I am telling you now, Kieran McKenna is one of the best coaches I’ve ever seen on the grass, ever.
“I’ll put him next to anybody I’ve seen, and that’s including Carlos Quiroz, all the great coaches that I’ve worked with, Steve McClaren.
“He’s as good as any of them, but he’s having a bad time. Why? Because he’s in charge of a team that isn’t one of the top teams in the Premier League.
“He’s just had two promotions, so it’s going to be a difficult year for them.
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“If he went in at a top team like an Arsenal or somewhere, I’m pretty sure he’d be flying. And I think that’s the honest answer, it’s not a bitter thing.”
Ipswich handed McKenna his first senior managerial role less than three years ago, having previously held coaching positions at Nottingham Forest, Leicester and Tottenham.
Butt added: “And I think the one thing about Kieran, going back to Kieran, he was very clever.
“He’s not jumped into a club that he could have gone to in the summer, because he knew that the right club, if he gets it wrong, you’re back down the bottom of the ladder and you’re starting all over again.”
McKenna is still waiting for his first Premier League win, with Ipswich currently 18th on five points from 10 matches.
However, the 38-year-old has already won two promotions after taking the club from League One to the top flight.
His side remain just two points from safety going into Sunday’s trip to Tottenham.
