It’s been 22 arduous years, but Ipswich Town are finally back, dining at the top table of English football. The club, made famous by the likes of Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson, secured back-to-back promotions to the Premier League following a routine 2-0 home victory over already-relegated Huddersfield Town.

Ipswich only needed a point in their final game of the season to clinch the second automatic promotion spot ahead of third-placed Leeds United. However, Huddersfield showed little appetite to play the role of party poopers as Ipswich strolled to a comfortable win in front of a capacity crowd at Portman Road.

The magic of McKenna

It’s been 12 years since a team last achieved back-to-back promotions from the third tier of English football – League One – to the Premier League. Blues boss, Kieran McKenna, has etched his name into Ipswich folklore, awakening a sleeping giant from its slumber in his first senior managerial role.

The Northern Irishman secured the job in December 2021 after the club dispensed with Paul Cook’s services. The club was languishing in the middle of the League One table. McKenna has revolutionised the team’s playing style while developing an exceptional squad unity that’s helped them over the line in the last two campaigns.

This year’s achievement is significantly more impressive than last season, simply due to the competition for those automatic promotion spots. The likes of Leicester, Leeds, and Southampton were all relegated from the Premier League in May 2023, returning to the Championship with parachute payments and budgets three to five times that of Ipswich’s.

To finish second on 96 points, just one shy of eventual champions Leicester, is a remarkable feat. Despite the uncertainty and nerves surrounding the final day of the season, Ipswich’s victory and Leeds’ home defeat to Southampton meant that Town eventually finished six points clear of Leeds.

Their local rivals, Norwich City, are also in with a shout of promotion to the Premier League. They have the tricky task of overcoming Leeds United in their playoff semi-final, which explains why Nigeria’s leading online sports betting site, Betano, has priced them as +450 outsiders.

There is one major accolade to give Ipswich and McKenna. Eight of the starting eleven from their League One promotion-winning side featured in the Huddersfield game. McKenna has kept faith with so many of the players that fired Ipswich out of League One and has been richly rewarded with a Premier League adventure. The last time Ipswich were in the Premier League, they signed new Super Eagles coach, Finidi George, from Real Mallorca.

Former Super Eagles international retires

Within hours of Town confirming their place back in the top-flight of English football, former Super Eagles winger, Sone Aluko, confirmed his retirement from professional football. The 35-year-old, who appeared seven times for Nigeria between 2009 and 2015, spent the last three years with the Tractor Boys, playing 46 times and scoring three goals. Aluko could yet remain a part of the Ipswich furniture, with boss Kieran McKenna confirming he hopes to retain Aluko as part of his staff at the club’s end-of-season dinner.

As the celebrations begin to subside, attention at Portman Road will swiftly turn to life in the Premier League. The club’s chief executive, Mark Ashton, has already revealed Town received a list of upgrades required by the Premier League ahead of the new season. Ashton said these alterations will cost several millions to ready the Tractor Boys for the 2024/25 campaign but should futureproof Portman Road as a top-flight venue.

Ashton and McKenna will also divert their attention to squad-building too. Although there’ll be a need to keep the core of the squad which helped Ipswich soar through the leagues, a sprinkling of Premier League experience and quality will be essential in their survival bid.

Reports online have suggested Town are keen on Arsenal duo Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith-Rowe. The pair have struggled for game time at the Emirates Stadium and could see the opportunity to work with McKenna as a great chance to rebuild their Premier League careers. The same reports have intimated that Ipswich will look to raise eyebrows in the transfer market this summer, with some ambitious raids.