“John can look back with a lot of fondness on what he did achieve in the game and I’m sure will have lots more to look forward to in his life.”
Those were the words of Willie McStay this evening as he returned from the Hungary-Italy u-21 match after hearing the sad news of John Kennedy’s retirement.
McStay fought off interest from Manchester United to sign the schoolboy defender and was delighted to see Kennedy make his first team debut before his seventeenth birthday.
Sadly a decade later the glittering career predicted and hinted at failed to materialise with his career virtually ended by a brutal assault from Romanian thug Ioan Ganea just 14 minutes into his international debut.
Five years and various operations later Kennedy has had to give up on the dream of returning to top level football and has announced his retirement from the game.
McStay was as close as anyone to Kennedy throughout his career and was devastated to hear the news that his long battle to return to football was over.
“It’s terrible news for an awful lot of people, it must be very difficult for John and his family because they are all very close,” the Ujpest Dozsa boss said.
COLOSSUS
“He has a strong family that will help him through this stage and whatever he turns to in future I’m sure that he’ll be a success. He has been a colossus the way that he has worked hard and did everything possible to get back to full fitness.
“It’s a real tragedy for John and everyone that knows him. Hugh McGovern was the scout that brought John to our attention and I know he’ll be devastated by this news.”
Despite the horrific injury Kennedy returned to play for Celtic in the Champions League making his first team comeback away to Kilmarnock on April 2007 when the SPL title was won.
Last season he made 15 first team appearances on loan at Norwich City before returning injured to Celtic with his final competitive match a 2-0 defeat at Reading on 13 December 2008.
After his initial burst of first team football Kennedy had to go back to the reserve and youth sides to develop his game as Martin O’Neill’s Celtic side dominated the domestic game and made advances into Europe.
NOU CAMP
Seville and Boavista are two of the greatest highlights for most Celtic supporters but up there in the same bracket was the night in March 2004 when Barcelona were held at bay in the Nou Camp as Celtic progressed into the last eight of the Uefa Cup.
That night an old song was heard around La Ramblas with some extra meaning: ‘Barcelona, Real Madrid, they will make a gallant bid’ with Kennedy a giant in defence alongside Stan Varga in front of David Marshall on a never-to-be-forgotten night.
A week later Kennedy’s career was virtually over as he lay on the Hampden turf, football has rarely been so cruel as to have robbed one of it’s good guys so soon after he had announced that he was more than just another prospect.
“Straight away when Kenny Dalglish came to the club he identified John as a special talent and he was promoted to the reserves and first team,”McStay added.
INFLUENCE
“There was much more to John than just his physique and stature. He had an influence over other players and was an organiser.
“A lot of young players stand out physically at 14 and 15 but fail to develop when other players catch up with them in terms of size.
“John had much more than just size to his game but worked very hard in the gym as well. The youth side switched to playing a back three so that when John moved up to the first team he was used to the system.
“John was in the centre of the three alongside David van Zanten and Stephen McManus.
“A few years later when I moved up to the reserve side it was funny to see John in the dressing room again, he was a great character and always liked a joke.
“In the reserve side he was a good example to the other young players coming through. He was totally dedicated and thoroughly professional at all times.
“I’m gutted for John that he has had to retire. He’ll have lots of opportunities and offers and whatever he does in future I’ve no doubt that he will be very successful.”
SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM JOHNS CAREER
CELTIC 4-0 MOTHERWELL 5.4.2000
Gould, McNamara, Mjallby, Crainey; Petrov, Lambert, Wieghorst, Berkovic (Moravcik 81), Blinker; Viduka (Burchill 81), Johnson (Kennedy 85)
BARCELONA 0-0 CELTIC 25.3.2004
Valdes, Reiziger (Overmars 53), Puyol (Marquez 34), Oleguer; Xavi, Cocu, Lopez, Enrique, Gabri (S Garcia 64); Ronaldinho, L Garcia
Marshall; McNamara (Miller 52) Kennedy, Varga, Pearson; Agathe, Lennon, Petrov, Thompson; Sutton, Larsson
KILMARNOCK 1-2 CELTIC 27.4.2007
Boruc; Kennedy, Pressley, Caldwell, ODea; Graevesen, Lennon, Hartley, Nakamura; Vennegoor of Hesselink, Riordan
Very sad day. A guy who I believe would have been our captain and the leader we are so sadly missing at the moment. Looked as though he had all the attributes needed to be a great defender, again something we are sadly missing at the moment. Wish him all the very best for the future after a hard 5 years.