John Kennedy (Scottish footballer)
Encyclopedia
John Kennedy is a retired Scottish professional footballer who played as a centre back for Celtic
and Norwich City
. He was also a Scotland international
, but suffered a horrific knee injury on his Scotland debut in March 2004. He retired on 13 November 2009, having failed to fully recover and now works for Celtic as a scout
.
player Jimmy Delaney
, but he is not related to John Kennedy, a midfielder who played for Celtic in the 1960s. He came through Celtic
's youth system and signed his first professional contract on the same day as fellow defender Stephen McManus
. He made his first-team debut aged 16 during the 1999-00 season. In the 2003-04 season, he had a run in the Celtic starting eleven and came under scrutiny from scouts of AC Milan who contacted Celtic about making a move. It was during this season that Kennedy scored his only goal for Celtic, against Dundee
in the SPL
.
Kennedy received high praise for his performance in a 0-0 draw with Barcelona
in a UEFA Cup last-16 clash at the Camp Nou
in March 2004. He was rewarded with his first Scotland
call-up for a friendly
against Romania
a week later. During the match, Kennedy sustained a serious injury after a shocking lunge on him by Ionel Ganea
, which ruled him out of action for over two years. Kennedy required several operations by Richard Steadman
before he could even attempt a comeback.
Kennedy finally resumed training in late 2006, and was an unused substitute for Celtic's Champions League
match against A.C. Milan
on 20 February 2007. He played his first competitive match since the injury on 22 April 2007, when Celtic clinched the SPL championship by winning 2–1 against Kilmarnock
. Four days later, on 26 April, Kennedy signed a new three-year contract with the club.
Kennedy made further appearances for Celtic over the next several months, but during a Champions League
match against Shakhtar Donetsk
on 28 November 2007, he was stretchered off after he twisted his knee on landing from an aerial challenge. The initial diagnosis was that he sustained damage to his lateral meniscus
and the posterior lateral complex of the same knee he had previously injured, ruling him out for three months. This match proved to be Kennedy's final appearance for Celtic.
reported that Kennedy had joined Motherwell
on a six-month loan deal, but this report was denied by Celtic later that day Kennedy did, however, meet up with the Motherwell squad in Austria, on trial. Soon afterwards, however, Kennedy joined Norwich City
on loan until January 2009. He made his Norwich debut in a 2–0 defeat to Coventry City
at the Ricoh Arena
on 9 August 2008. Kennedy's performances for Norwich were impressive, and he scored in games with Derby
and Preston North End.
during his time at Norwich, and returned to Celtic after further damaging his troubled knee in December 2008. On 13 November 2009, it was announced that, at the age of just 26, Kennedy had retired from football on medical grounds.
call-up for a friendly
against Romania
on 31 March 2004. Just 14 minutes into the match, Kennedy sustained a serious injury after a "late challenge" on him by Ionel Ganea
, which ruled him out of action for almost three years. Kennedy required several operations by Richard Steadman
before he could even attempt a comeback. Following his injury, the SFA
compensated Celtic with respect to Kennedy's wages, as it had been suffered while he was playing in an international match.
and Celtic
has been mooted, while a match between Finn Harps
and Celtic had been arranged for 28 November 2010, but was postponed. The game was replayed on Sunday 6 March with Celtic winning 4-1. A further testimonial match will go ahead on Sunday 22 May 2011 at Celtic Park
between the current Celtic side and some of the Celtic team that made it to Seville for the 2003 UEFA Cup Final
including the manager back then, Martin O'Neill.
network at Celtic, and has travelled over Europe to help find new players for the club.
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
and Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
. He was also a Scotland international
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
, but suffered a horrific knee injury on his Scotland debut in March 2004. He retired on 13 November 2009, having failed to fully recover and now works for Celtic as a scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
.
Celtic
Kennedy is the grandson of Celtic and Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
player Jimmy Delaney
Jimmy Delaney
James "Jimmy" Delaney was a Scottish football player who enjoyed a 24-year playing career.- Career :...
, but he is not related to John Kennedy, a midfielder who played for Celtic in the 1960s. He came through Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
's youth system and signed his first professional contract on the same day as fellow defender Stephen McManus
Stephen McManus
Stephen McManus is a Scottish footballer who currently plays as a centre back for Middlesbrough. McManus was club captain of Celtic from 2007 until his move to Middlesbrough....
. He made his first-team debut aged 16 during the 1999-00 season. In the 2003-04 season, he had a run in the Celtic starting eleven and came under scrutiny from scouts of AC Milan who contacted Celtic about making a move. It was during this season that Kennedy scored his only goal for Celtic, against Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
in the SPL
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
.
Kennedy received high praise for his performance in a 0-0 draw with Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
in a UEFA Cup last-16 clash at the Camp Nou
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
in March 2004. He was rewarded with his first Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
call-up for a friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
a week later. During the match, Kennedy sustained a serious injury after a shocking lunge on him by Ionel Ganea
Ionel Ganea
Ioan Viorel Ganea is a Romanian former footballer who played as a striker.-Playing career:Ganea debuted in Liga I with FC Braşov in 1994. He went on to play for a number of clubs in Romanian football over the next five years...
, which ruled him out of action for over two years. Kennedy required several operations by Richard Steadman
Richard Steadman
J. Richard Steadman, M.D. is a specialist knee surgeon, practising in Vail, Colorado and a Clinical Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He is best known medically for his work in the area of microfracture surgery, and publicly for treating injured...
before he could even attempt a comeback.
Kennedy finally resumed training in late 2006, and was an unused substitute for Celtic's Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
match against A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
on 20 February 2007. He played his first competitive match since the injury on 22 April 2007, when Celtic clinched the SPL championship by winning 2–1 against Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
. Four days later, on 26 April, Kennedy signed a new three-year contract with the club.
Kennedy made further appearances for Celtic over the next several months, but during a Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
match against Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and currently is often a participant of the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first Ukrainian club to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year...
on 28 November 2007, he was stretchered off after he twisted his knee on landing from an aerial challenge. The initial diagnosis was that he sustained damage to his lateral meniscus
Lateral meniscus
The lateral meniscus, also called the external semilunar fibrocartilage, is a fibrocartilaginous band that spans the lateral side of the interior of the knee joint. It is one of two menisci of the knee, the other being the medial meniscus. It is nearly circular and covers a larger portion of the...
and the posterior lateral complex of the same knee he had previously injured, ruling him out for three months. This match proved to be Kennedy's final appearance for Celtic.
Norwich City (loan)
On 14 July 2008, BBC SportBBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
reported that Kennedy had joined Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
on a six-month loan deal, but this report was denied by Celtic later that day Kennedy did, however, meet up with the Motherwell squad in Austria, on trial. Soon afterwards, however, Kennedy joined Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
on loan until January 2009. He made his Norwich debut in a 2–0 defeat to Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
at the Ricoh Arena
Ricoh Arena
The Ricoh Arena , home to Coventry City F.C., is a stadium complex situated in the Rowleys Green district of the city of Coventry, England containing a 32,609 seater football stadium, a 6,000 square-metre exhibition hall, a hotel, a leisure club, and a casino...
on 9 August 2008. Kennedy's performances for Norwich were impressive, and he scored in games with Derby
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
and Preston North End.
Return to Celtic
Kennedy suffered ankle ligament damageSprained ankle
A sprained ankle, also known as an ankle sprain, twisted ankle, rolled ankle, ankle injury or ankle ligament injury, is a common medical condition where one or more of the ligaments of the ankle is torn or partially torn.-Cause:...
during his time at Norwich, and returned to Celtic after further damaging his troubled knee in December 2008. On 13 November 2009, it was announced that, at the age of just 26, Kennedy had retired from football on medical grounds.
International career
Kennedy received his first ScotlandScotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
call-up for a friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
on 31 March 2004. Just 14 minutes into the match, Kennedy sustained a serious injury after a "late challenge" on him by Ionel Ganea
Ionel Ganea
Ioan Viorel Ganea is a Romanian former footballer who played as a striker.-Playing career:Ganea debuted in Liga I with FC Braşov in 1994. He went on to play for a number of clubs in Romanian football over the next five years...
, which ruled him out of action for almost three years. Kennedy required several operations by Richard Steadman
Richard Steadman
J. Richard Steadman, M.D. is a specialist knee surgeon, practising in Vail, Colorado and a Clinical Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He is best known medically for his work in the area of microfracture surgery, and publicly for treating injured...
before he could even attempt a comeback. Following his injury, the SFA
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
compensated Celtic with respect to Kennedy's wages, as it had been suffered while he was playing in an international match.
Testimonial
A testimonial fixture for Kennedy between ScotlandScotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
and Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
has been mooted, while a match between Finn Harps
Finn Harps F.C.
Finn Harps Football Club are a professional Irish football club playing in the First Division of the League of Ireland. The club was founded in 1954 and elected to the league in 1969. They hail from Ballybofey, County Donegal and play their home matches at Finn Park. The club's colours are blue...
and Celtic had been arranged for 28 November 2010, but was postponed. The game was replayed on Sunday 6 March with Celtic winning 4-1. A further testimonial match will go ahead on Sunday 22 May 2011 at Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
between the current Celtic side and some of the Celtic team that made it to Seville for the 2003 UEFA Cup Final
2003 UEFA Cup Final
The 2003 UEFA Cup Final was played on 21 May 2003 between Celtic of Scotland and Porto of Portugal. Porto won the match 3–2 in extra time thanks to a goal from Derlei...
including the manager back then, Martin O'Neill.
Scouting
After retiring as a player, Kennedy joined the scoutingScout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
network at Celtic, and has travelled over Europe to help find new players for the club.