Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna says he is not paying any attention to rumours linking him with the Crystal Palace job.

Journalist Alan Nixon claimed in October that McKenna was on Palace’s list of summer targets to replace Roy Hodgson, and speculation about a potential move to Selhurst Park for the 37-year-old has intensified amid Hodgson’s current struggles.

Hodgson returned for a second spell in charge of the Eagles in April, and after keeping the club in the Premier League last season, he agreed to stay on for another year.

However, Palace currently sit 14th in the top flight, and they are just five points above the relegation zone after a run of three wins in 16 league games, and fans have protested against the club’s ownership in recent weeks.

McKenna has done an outstanding job at Ipswich since taking over in December 2021, and after leading the club to promotion from League One last season, his side have adapted seamlessly to the Championship.

The Tractor Boys have spent much of the season in and around the automatic promotion places, and while their form has declined slightly of late, they are still fourth in the table, just two points behind second-placed Southampton.

McKenna signed a new four-year contract to keep him at Portman Road until 2027 in June, but he has attracted attention from elsewhere during his time at the club, with chief executive Mark Ashton revealing that there had been interest in McKenna in the summer.

McKenna refused to be drawn on speculation linking him with the Palace job, insisting that his full focus remains on Ipswich.

“No, look my full focus, full commitment is with Ipswich and the season that we’re having and the next game ahead. That’s where all of my energy is and all my commitment is,” McKenna told the East Anglian Daily Times.

“I don’t pay any attention to it, to be honest. It’s not the first time in the last couple of years. If you’re doing well there are going to be links. Football can work the other way pretty quickly as well. I just focus on the day-to-day work here.

“As I’ve said, I’m very proud and honoured to manage this football club, am enjoying doing so and will continue to do the best I can.”

McKenna’s words will be reassuring for Ipswich supporters, but further interest in the Northern Irishman is likely over the coming months.

While the Tractor Boys remain firmly in automatic promotion contention, it could be tough for them to secure second spot over Leeds United and Southampton, and failure to achieve promotion this season could make them vulnerable to losing McKenna in the summer.

Hodgson’s departure from Palace at the end of the season is inevitable, and with fans demanding change at the club, McKenna would be the type of progressive appointment the Eagles need.

However, Ipswich are a club with vast financial resources, and should they reach the Premier League, they have the potential to be competitive in the top flight, so it would be a tough decision facing McKenna if Palace were to make an approach.