When Manchester United welcome Ipswich to Old Trafford, it will be a game full of underlying narratives, not least of which is Ruben Amorim’s side’s unexpected struggle to survive.
Man Utd need a win against Ipswich to soothe their fears of getting dragged into a relegation battle and they have to do it by winning at Old Trafford, a worryingly rare feat this season.
To add to the spice, it will be Kieran McKenna’s first rodeo at Old Trafford since he was a part of the coaching staff at the club.
However, it is another name who’s flying under the radar and was on United’s books as recently as 2022 but will now return to the club as a coach with Ipswich to plot Ruben Amorim’s downfall.
Man Utd welcome back cult favourite
As said above, Ipswich have plenty of Man Utd connections, with Axel Tuanzebe also among McKenna’s playing XI and thriving.
However, it’s not just on the playing XI and the head coach mantle where Man Utd fans will find a familiar face and name, Ipswich’s coaching field will also have one.
Enter Lee Grant, the goalkeeper who achieved somewhat of a cult status at Man Utd after signing as a backup third-goalkeeper in 2018 due to the circumstances surrounding his signing.
Grant was a part of the infamous 2018-19 transfer window which infuriated Jose Mourinho, as he joined Fred and Diogo Dalot as the only arrivals after qualifying for the Champions League the season prior.
Grant only played two games in five years for United but was a cheery and visible presence in the dressing room, rated highly for his demeanour and professionalism.
His is effectively the role that Tom Heaton plays now, the homegrown third goalkeeper who is a stabilising dressing room presence.
Grant retired from professional football after the end of his United contract in 2022 and immediately joined Kieran McKenna’s coaching staff at Ipswich.
Lee Grant has been a part of a miraculous Ipswich staff
Kieran McKenna has received the majority of the plaudits for his fairytale time as Ipswich manager which has seen them gain two consecutive promotions straight into the Premier League.
Still, in a case like this, the staff with him should also have their profiles raised for being a part of a successful and cohesive environment that enabled that success.
Grant has been with Ipswich for nearly three years now and has seen it all, ups and downs, with the latest one probably relegation from the league.
At the same time, he’ll be a better coach having had that experience along with McKenna, continuing a trend of players and staff getting better after leaving the club.