Ipswich Town have appointed Gary O'Neil as their new manager, handing the 43-year-old a three-year contract to lead the club in the Premier League.

O'Neil arrives at Portman Road after departing Strasbourg, where he had been in charge since January. He guided the French club to eighth place in Ligue 1 last season and steered them to a Europa Conference League semi-final — the first time Strasbourg had reached the last four of a European competition — before they fell to Rayo Vallecano.

He replaces Kieran McKenna, who stepped down earlier this month despite an extraordinary tenure that brought three promotions in four seasons, two of which carried Ipswich Town into the Premier League. McKenna, 40, cited a desire to rest and spend more time with his family as his reason for leaving.

O'Neil's appointment

O'Neil will be joined at Ipswich by coaches Tim Jenkins and Neil Critchley, with whom he worked at Strasbourg. His history with the club's hierarchy runs deeper than most — as a former midfielder, he played at Bristol City under the same chief executive, Mark Ashton, who now holds that post at Portman Road.

Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had also been considered for the role as Ipswich accelerated their search last week, but O'Neil had long been the preferred candidate internally.