Fermanagh native Kieran McKenna has landed his biggest coaching role to date with Manchester United after being named as part of new caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s backroom team on Wednesday.
McKenna will work alongside Solskjaer, Mike Phelan and Michael Carrick, who make up the interim management team at Old Trafford.
His promotion comes in the wake of Jose Mourinho’s departure from the club. McKenna, who’s 32, had already been working with the first team as one of Mourinho’s coaches.
As a youngter, McKenna played with Enniskillen Town United. He was spotted by a scout for Tottenham Hotspur and joined the Spurs academy, eventually captaining their reserve side, as well as the Northern Ireland U21s.
After being forced to retire at the age of 22 because of a hip injury, he soon moved into coaching. He took up a role in the Spurs academy and was appointed the club’s U18 boss in 2015.
In 2016, he was appointed as Manchester United’s U18 manager. The team were crowned Premier League North winners in his second season.
After Jose Mourinho’s long-time assistant Rui Faria left the club in May of this year, McKenna was offered a promotion to the senior set-up. He would become one of Mourinho’s first team coaches. He has been working closely with the first team in the intervening months, and is now set for an even bigger role under Solskjaer.
The Norweigan takes charge of the United first team with immediate effect and will remain in place while the club searches for Jose Mourinho’s full-time replacement.
