Allen exits Spurs after 13 years to become Ipswich Head of Performance
Allen worked with Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna at Tottenham's Academy
Written by Training Ground Guru — July 6, 2023
MATT ALLEN has left Tottenham after 13 years to become Head of Athletic Performance at Ipswich Town.
The move reunites him with manager Kieran McKenna, with whom he worked at Tottenham’s Academy until 2016.
Allen joined Spurs in December 2009 as an intern and went on to become Head of Academy Physical Development and then Head of Performance for the Women’s Team.
At Ipswich he replaces Head of Sport Science and Insights Andy Costin, who has left after two years to become Director of Performance at FC Tulsa in the United States.
He will report into Director of Performance Andrew Rolls, who has been with the club since May 2021.
“The chance to come in and help the club ahead of what we know will be a demanding Championship season is one I couldn’t turn down,” Allen said.
“I worked with Kieran McKenna seven or eight years ago at Tottenham and we have kept in contact ever since. He is extremely diligent in everything he does and his level of detail is unmatched.
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“So the chance to come in and help him and supplement the group was something I am really excited by. I used to live in the area a good few years ago, so I know how big the club is and what it means to everyone here.
“I know the quality and high standards expected here and when this opportunity was presented to me it was one I couldn’t say no to.”
McKenna added: “Matt’s a top-level practitioner with more than a decade’s experience at Tottenham Hotspur, working with different managers and in a really strong academy regime, which he was heading up.
“He is excellent from a sports science and preparation point of view but he’s also a really good person who fits in with the values of our club and within our staff group.
“He is a really good fit for us, we’re delighted to have him with us and he will improve our work here day-to-day.”
