Wes Burns Earned His Ipswich Town Decision, McKenna Says
Wes Burns may have played his last Ipswich Town game, but Kieran McKenna is not ready to call it. The manager said he does not know whether tomorrow lunchtime’s home clash with QPR will be Burns’ final appearance, with the 31-year-old set to be out of contract this summer.
McKenna on Burns
“Honestly, I don't have a complete update on it (contract situation) and I'm not sure I can reveal anything too much,” McKenna said when asked about Burns’ future. He added: “I think Wes has earned the right here over the last few seasons to be the first one to decide his future.”
That leaves the winger’s next step in his own hands for now. McKenna said there had been discussions in January and that “conversations and decisions will be made over the summer,” with the club and player needing to settle on the right move.
Burns and Ipswich Town
Burns has been central to Ipswich Town’s rise. Paul Cook signed him from Fleetwood for a nominal fee in 2021, and he played a key role in back-to-back promotions before an ACL injury at Liverpool midway through his debut Premier League campaign.
He has returned to become an important part of Ipswich’s Championship promotion push this season, while also making the right wing role his own again. McKenna said Burns scored vital goals against Coventry and Southampton, a reminder of how much end product he has added on top of the running and width he already gives the side.
QPR and the summer
Ipswich will face QPR in a final-day home clash tomorrow lunchtime, and victory would secure a third automatic promotion in four years. McKenna said Burns has “put himself in the history books of the club” and wants “another big day” against QPR, even as the summer now shapes up as the point when his future is settled.
For Ipswich, the immediate job is simple: beat QPR and finish the season with another promotion. For Burns, the decision may wait until the summer, but the club already knows one thing — the 31-year-old has done enough to make the choice his own.
