Damien Duff has described John Kennedy as ‘absolutely frightening’ and one of the best coaches in the world.
The Irish internationalist spent 15 months as part of the Celtic coaching team, side by side on the training pitch while Neil Lennon took a back seat.
Kennedy could have bolted down to Leicester with Brendan Rodgers but decided to stay put, providing the continuity between the former manager and the caretaker charged with delivering a treble.
After his playing career was cut short the 36-year-old moved into coaching, stepping up from the Development Squad to be part of Ronny Deila’s coaching team.
Duff spent his entire playing career working with the biggest names in English football but after moving into coaching he told Si Ferry all about the strengths of Lennon’s assistant manager.
1 hour 30 minutes in
SF:Did you think that there would be a chance for you to go and work with the first team?
DD: Not one bit, honest to God. No, probably a normal coach would have asked for it but I didn’t bat an eyelid. I was just pottering along. We were playing Killie away on the astro then I got a phone call after the game from John Kennedy. I don’t think that the gaffer had even been announced.
So I loved the gaffer to bits but it was J (John Kennedy) that brought me in to the first team set up, Neil wasn’t announced. John stayed, he rang me after the game, asked if I would come in with him. So absolutely again, similar to my interview, I was rattled, out of the comfort zone. I didn’t tell anybody, I’m not ready for this but you can’t turn this down. You just have to go and learn on your feet.
SF Did you know Lenny before?
DD No, I’d met him about 15 years before, I met him down in the West End then I had a game of golf with him at Loch Lomond. I didn’t know him, I didn’t know what I’d said to him, I could have abused him but I don’t know. I was drunk, I had a game of golf with him, listen I’m sounding like I’m drunk all the time but I was a good pro.
SF: How did you find it taking a first team session for the first time?
DD: Listen, I was just rattled. You feel that you are learning the game all over again. You’ve done things as a player, you are so focussed but now it is from a different viewpoint.
I remember my first coaching class, I had to give a session on wingers, I like to think that I know about wingers and understand the role but I couldn’t coach them on how to do the role. How to run, when to run, I was the worst coach on my B licence so I realised that I needed to take a step back and try to dissect the game and I guess that’s what I do daily.
I was a half decent player, I think that I did OK but I just feel like I’m learning it all again.
When you go in with the first team it helps that they know you have played, you get a bit of respect with the lads. I ended up building an amazing bond with them. They were amazing with me, I had great fun with them, I like to think that I was fair and had the crack with them but when it comes down to it, the sessions and what have you I was always conscious that being the young coach I didn’t want to say something stupid and have then go ‘who is this guy’.
I would always end up over analysing then end up saying nothing at all. I was always just conscious of, especially when you are working with someone like John, the gaffer would take a step back, he would manage on matchdays whereas John Kennedy and Woodsy (Stevie) with the goalkeepers, but John Kennedy is without doubt one of the best coaches in the world.
I sound like his agent now, I don’t think that clubs outside realise how good he is. Absolutely frightening. Just so good.
SF? Can I ask why is he so good, what makes him such a good coach?
DD: It comes down to detail, his detail is second to none, I’ve never seen detail like it. Some coaches can be like Ray Charles and not see things that are going on in the game whereas John doesn’t miss a trick. He sees the problem, how are we going to fix it? absolutely frightening. Like I said they’d be lost without him. Him and the gaffer, the gaffer is the best man around up there. I worked a lot with John, spent a lot of time late into the night watching games. I guess that I would have built a nice bond with him. Listen I sound like his agent, clubs are going to be chasing him but like I said he is to class.
At the end of last season Duff quit his Celtic post to return to Dublin where he is part of Stephen Kenny’s international coaching team.
