Gary O’Neil has challenged Ipswich Town to follow in Brighton & Hove Albion’s footsteps as they attempt to establish themselves as a Premier League force.

The 43-year-old former Bournemouth, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Strasbourg boss was handed the reins at Portman Road on Tuesday after signing a three-year deal to replace Kieran McKenna, and he wasted little time in outlining his vision for the club.

Asked what it could achieve under his charge at his first press conference, O’Neil said: “I think it can become a very, very big club in the English game.

“If you look at Brighton recently and the journey they have been on. I remember them in the Championship under Chris Hughton, and the journey they’ve gone on since then to be established – you’re surprised if they’re not in the top half, top nine in the league.

“I think this place has that potential, to go on and kick to that. We have a few steps along that we need to make, and the first one is to make sure that we don’t only spend one season in this league.

“We need to make sure that this season, we stay in the league, we stabilise, we give ourselves the chance again to improve next summer and start to build.”

Ipswich turned to O’Neil, who was only six months into his reign at Ligue 1 Strasbourg, who he guided to the last four in both Europe’s Conference League and the Coupe de France last season, following McKenna’s announcement that he was to step down after five years.

He did so having guided Town back into the Premier League at the first attempt by finishing second in the Championship behind Coventry.

O’Neil earned his spurs in management scrapping for top-flight survival at both the Vitality Stadium and Molineux, and while he has his sights set higher than that this time around, he is under no illusions that survival is the overriding priority.

He said: “If you asked probably 14 clubs in the division, the first aim will be that, and of course we want to go on from that.

“The beauty and the thing that drew me to this role – because there have been Premier League clubs in the past that I’ve spoken to and decided not to go to – the reason that this one appealed so much is, of course, the history and the size of the club, but also, the ambition and where the club is at.

“It’s not one that’s just looking to achieve safety. The aim is to grow and to achieve more than that. It’s been in Europe before and it’s won in Europe before. It’s a big, big football club that we can do special things with.”

O’Neil admitted his excitement at what lies ahead for he and his young family at a club which boasts a particularly famous celebrity and stakeholder.

He said: “I’m sure they’ll love meeting Ed Sheeran at some point – that will be high up on their list, I would think – so looking forward to all of that and can’t wait to get started.”