Ipswich Town: Kieran McKenna discusses recruitment model…
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has highlighted the importance of the club’s recruitment model, targeting young players to develop them over a period of time.
The Blues predominantly look to bring in players at the start of their careers, such as Liam Delap, Omari Hutchinson, Jaden Philogene and Jacob Greaves, giving them time to work under McKenna on the training pitch.
The manager, however, highlighted that this isn’t their only strategy, and that their approach of continuous improvement counts for everybody at the club – regardless of age and background.
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As a result, the Blues are an attractive proposition for those on the move in the transfer market, as highlighted by their business in the last two windows.
New arrivals often credit McKenna as one of the biggest reasons for them joining the club, prompting him to joke: “Players always have to say something nice about the person who picks their team!
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“We’ve tried to develop young talent here, it’s one really important part of our model,” he added in an interview with Sky Sports. “It’s not just young talent, I have to say, because you look at our club captain Samy Morsy, who’s 33 and has gone from strength to strength over the last few years. He’s now captaining a club at Premier League level.
33-year-old skipper Sam Morsy is currently the oldest player at the club
33-year-old skipper Sam Morsy is currently the oldest player at the club (Image: PA)
“A big part of our recruitment model over the last few years has been recruiting and developing young talent. We’ve done that from League One, with the likes of Leif Davis, George Hirst, Nathan Broadhead, Harry Clarke and other players.
“They have pretty much all pushed on in their careers and are in a much better point now. Many are internationals and have played in the Premier League.
“Last year with the likes of Omari coming to us and trying to develop him, and then with other players this year who have joined us, there are a lot of them who have improved and are still improving over the course of the season.
“Of course, it’s the toughest league in the world, so it’s a big, big challenge for them individually and for the team. You certainly learn your lessons in a really harsh way in the Premier League.
“Having young talent at the football club who are learning, improving and doing so in the toughest league in the world, I think that’s really good for the players and the future for the club.
“In terms of that, I think the club is in a bright position. We want to keep developing talent and keep trying to win as many games as we can.”
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