Mark Kennedy (footballer, born 1976)

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Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Other people". Template:Use British English Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Template:Infobox football biography Mark John Kennedy (born 15 May 1976) is an Irish football coach and former professional footballer and most recently the head coach of EFL League Two club Swindon Town.

As a player, he was a left back and left winger from 1992 to 2012. He notably featured in the Premier League with Liverpool, Wimbledon, Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, as well as in the Football League for Millwall, Queens Park Rangers, Crystal Palace, Cardiff City and Ipswich Town. He was capped 34 times by Ireland, scoring four goals.

Kennedy was head coach of Macclesfield Town in 2020, and was appointed assistant to head coach Lee Bowyer at Birmingham City in June 2021. Prior to this he has worked as a coach at Ipswich Town, Manchester City and Colchester United.

Club career

Millwall

Kennedy was born in Clonsilla, Dublin. He began his professional career at Millwall, making his senior debut on 24 April 1993 in a 1–0 win over Charlton, when still only 16. He developed over his three-year stay at The Old Den, and broke into the Republic of Ireland Under-21 side. He particularly gained attention for a powerful run and goal at Highbury that helped eliminate Arsenal from the FA Cup in 1995.[1]

Liverpool

Kennedy left to join Liverpool in March 1995 for an initial £1.5 million fee (potentially rising to £2.3 m), making him then the most expensive teenage footballer in British history. However, opportunities at Anfield were scarce, and he managed just 18 appearances over three seasons, which also saw him loaned to Queens Park Rangers to gain first team action. He found a permanent route to regular football when he moved back to the capital with Wimbledon in 1998, for £1.75 million, but he stayed for just one season with the club, scoring once against Bolton in the League Cup,[2] before returning to the north, this time to Manchester City, for £1.6 million, in 1999.

Manchester City

Kennedy won promotion to the Premier League with Manchester City in his first season, but the following year saw the club relegated and manager Joe Royle sacked. When Kevin Keegan took the reins, he sought to rebuild the squad and decided Kennedy was not part of his plans, selling him to fellow second flight club Wolverhampton Wanderers for £2 million.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Kennedy looked set for another promotion in his first season at Molineux, but a groin tear ruled him out of the run-in and the team dropped into the play-off zone in his absence, where they lost to Norwich. However, the following season saw them achieve the aim of promotion, with Kennedy scoring the opening goal in their 3–0 Division One Play-off final win over Sheffield United. The Midlands club were unable to remain in the top flight beyond a solitary season though, and soon found themselves with a new manager, with Glenn Hoddle replacing Dave Jones, in late 2004. Hoddle preferred to play Kennedy in a more restrained left midfield role, rather than his original position on the wing. With Hoddle departing in Summer 2006, so did Kennedy, after refusing the terms of a reduced contract, he moved to Selhurst Park on a free transfer to play under new manager Peter Taylor at Crystal Palace.

Crystal Palace

Kennedy spent the majority of the 2006–07 season in Palace's first team line-up, but largely disappointed fans, despite scoring against Derby County.[3] Early in the following season Taylor was replaced by Neil Warnock, and Kennedy hardly featured for the Eagles after that, before being released at the end of that campaign.

Cardiff City

Kennedy was signed by his former Wolves manager Dave Jones at Cardiff City on 10 July 2008.[4] With club stalwart Joe Ledley cemented in the left midfield role, Kennedy started the season at left-back in place of the injured Tony Capaldi but an injury to Kennedy himself meant he missed around half of the opening two months. However following his return, he remained as first choice left back for the majority of the season. The following season, he started the opening game of the season but injury meant he did not feature again until September during a 1–0 loss to Newcastle United where he remained on the bench, but he started the next game at Reading. He made his 400th career club start against Sheffield Wednesday on 26 September 2009. He made his 50th league Cardiff appearance on 5 December 2009, coming on as a substitute for injured Anthony Gerrard in a 1–0 win over Preston North End.[5]

Ipswich Town

On 27 July 2010, Kennedy joined Ipswich Town, managed by his former international team-mate Roy Keane, for a fee of £75,000.[6] He made his debut for Ipswich in a 3–1 away win over Middlesbrough on 7 August. He made 30 appearances during his first season at the club as Ipswich finished 13th in the Championship, while also helping the club to reach the semi-finals of the League Cup, starting in both legs as Ipswich lost 1–3 on aggregate following a 1–0 home win over Arsenal in the first leg at Portman Road.[7]

Kennedy featured less frequently during the following season, making only 7 appearances before retiring at the end of the 2011–12 season and joining the Ipswich Town coaching staff.[8]

International career

Kennedy has 34 caps for the Republic of Ireland, scoring four times.[9][10] He made his international debut on 6 September 1995 in a 3–1 defeat in Austria, but never established himself as a regular player over seven years involved with the national side. During this time, Ireland did not play in the final tournaments of the World Cup or the European Championship. While on international duty, Kennedy was arrested in Dublin with teammate Phil Babb in August 2000 for public order offences and causing criminal damage to an off duty Garda officer's car.[11] This effectively ended his international career. Kennedy's final game for Ireland was a friendly in February 2002: he missed the 2002 FIFA World Cup Finals because of injury.

Managerial career

Following his retirement from playing, Kennedy began coaching with the Ipswich Town academy in 2012. He was appointed as the club's under-21's head coach in 2012. He managed the Ipswich under-21 side from 2012 to 2016 before leaving to take up a position coaching in Manchester City's academy.[12] Kennedy was a coach with Manchester City from 2016 to 2018, before being released as part of a restructuring process within Manchester City's academy. He also spent time coaching with Wolves' under-23 side in 2019.[13]

In January 2020, Kennedy was appointed head coach at Macclesfield Town,[14] He took charge of his first match in senior management away to Colchester United on 18 January.[15] Kennedy managed just 12 first-team games in a COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season, resigning on 12 August 2020 after rejecting the offer of a new contract following the club's relegation to the National League as a result of a points deduction for financial issues.[16]

In December 2020, Kennedy returned to the Ipswich Town academy to shadow the club's head of coaching and player development Bryan Klug in his role to gain more coaching experience.[17]

He was appointed assistant to head coach Lee Bowyer at Championship club Birmingham City in June 2021,[18] and left on 12 May 2022.[19]

The same day, he was appointed the head coach of EFL League One club Lincoln City on a four-year contract.[20] His first game in charge was a 1–1 draw at home to Exeter City on the opening day of the 2022–23 season.[21]

On 18 October 2023, he was dismissed by Lincoln City along with assistant manager Danny Butterfield.[22]

On May 29 2024 Kennedy was announced as the new head coach of Swindon Town on a 2-year contract.[23] After five months in charge, on 25 October he was sacked by a late night phone call.[24][25]

Personal life

His brother Brendan was also a footballer, playing in the League of Ireland. Brendan is the Ireland under-18s and 19s goalkeeper coach and manager of Dunboyne AFC in the Leinster Senior League.

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Millwall 1992–93 First Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
1993–94 First Division 12 4 0 0 2 0 0 0 12 4
1994–95 First Division 30 5 4 1 5 2 52 8
Total 43 9 4 1 7 2 0 0 0 0
Liverpool 1994–95 Premier League 6 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
1995–96[26] Premier League 4 0 0 0 1 0 1Template:Efn 0 6 0
1996–97[27] Premier League 5 0 1 0 1 0 1Template:Efn 0 8 0
1997–98[28] Premier League 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 16 0 1 0 2 0 2 0 21 0
Queens Park Rangers (loan) 1997–98[28] First Division 8 2 0 0 0 0 8 2
Wimbledon 1997–98[28] Premier League 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
1998–99[29] Premier League 17 0 2 0 5 1 24 1
Total 21 0 2 0 5 1 0 0 28 1
Manchester City 1999–00[30] First Division 41 8 2 0 4 2 47 10
2000–01[31] Premier League 25 0 0 0 5 1 30 1
Total 66 8 2 0 9 3 0 0 77 11
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2001–02[32] First Division 35 5 1 0 1 0 1Template:Efn 0 38 5
2002–03[33] First Division 31 3 4 1 0 0 3Template:Efn 1 38 5
2003–04[34] Premier League 31 2 3 0 2 0 36 2
2004–05[35] Championship 30 0 2 0 0 0 32 0
2005–06[36] Championship 40 2 2 0 1 0 43 2
Total 167 12 12 1 4 0 4 1 187 14
Crystal Palace 2006–07[37] Championship 38 1 2 0 0 0 40 1
2007–08[38] Championship 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
Total 46 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 48 1
Cardiff City 2008–09[39] Championship 36 0 3 0 1 0 40 0
2009–10[40] Championship 30 0 3 0 0 0 3Template:Efn 0 36 0
Total 66 0 6 0 1 0 3 0 76 0
Ipswich Town 2010–11[7] Championship 26 0 1 0 3 0 30 0
2011–12[41] Championship 7 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
Total 33 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 37 0
Career total 466 32 30 2 31 6 9 1 536 41

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International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[42]
National team Year Apps Goals
Republic of Ireland 1995 3 0
1996 7 0
1997 7 1
1998 2 0
1999 6 2
2000 5 1
2001 3 0
2002 1 0
Total 34 4
Scores and results list Republic of Ireland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kennedy goal.[43]
List of international goals scored by Mark Kennedy
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 6 September 1997 Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland {{ Template:Yesno alias = Iceland flag alias = Flag of Iceland.svg flag alias-old = Hvítbláinn.svg flag alias-coast guard = Flag of Iceland (state).svg flag alias-naval = Flag of Iceland (state).svg border-naval = flag alias-1918 = Flag of Iceland (1918-1944).svg flag alias-state = Flag of Iceland (state).svg border-state = flag alias-navy = Flag of Iceland (state).svg link alias-naval = Icelandic Coast Guard border-navy = link alias-navy = Icelandic Coast Guard border-coast guard = link alias-coast guard = Icelandic Coast Guard size = name = altlink = national football team variant =

}} || align="center"|4–2 || align="center"|4–2 || 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification

2 28 April 1999 Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland {{ Template:Yesno alias = Sweden flag alias = Flag of Sweden.svg flag alias-army = Naval Ensign of Sweden.svg flag alias-air force =Naval Ensign of Sweden.svg flag alias-1818 = Swedish and Norwegian merchant flag 1818-1844.svg flag alias-1844 = Swedish civil ensign (1844–1905).svg flag alias-1905 = Flag of Sweden (pre-1906).svg flag alias-naval = Naval Ensign of Sweden.svg flag alias-naval-1844 = Naval Ensign of Sweden (1844-1905).svg flag alias-naval-1815 = Ensign of Sweden and Norway (1815–1844).svg link alias-army = Swedish Army link alias-air force = Swedish Air Force link alias-naval = Swedish Navy flag alias-navy = Naval Ensign of Sweden.svg link alias-navy = Swedish Navy link alias-football = Sweden men's national football team border-army = border-air force = border-naval = border-navy = border-naval-1815 = border-naval-1844 = size = name = altlink = national football team altvar = football variant =

}} || align="center"|2–0 || align="center"|2–0 || Friendly

3 1 September 1999 Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland {{ Template:Yesno alias = Federal Republic of Yugoslavia shortname alias = Yugoslavia flag alias = Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (1992–2006).svg name alias-football = FR Yugoslavia link alias-football = Serbia and Montenegro national football team link alias-ice hockey = Serbia and Montenegro national ice hockey team link alias-basketball = Serbia and Montenegro national basketball team link alias-volleyball = Serbia and Montenegro men's national volleyball team link alias-handball = Serbia and Montenegro men's national handball team link alias-water polo = Serbia and Montenegro men's national water polo team link alias-baseball = Serbia and Montenegro national baseball team flag alias-navy = Naval ensign of Serbia and Montenegro.svg link alias-navy = Yugoslav War Navy flag alias-naval = Naval jack of Serbia and Montenegro (1993–2006).svg link alias-naval = Yugoslav War Navy flag alias-air force = Fin flash of the Air Force of Serbia and Montenegro.svg link alias-air force = Yugoslav War Air Force border-air force= size = name = altlink = national football team altvar = football variant =

}} || align="center"|2–1 || align="center"|2–1 || UEFA Euro 2000 qualification

4 30 May 2000 Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland {{ Template:Yesno alias = Scotland flag alias = Flag of Scotland.svg flag alias-1542 = Flag of Scotland (traditional).svg link alias-football = Scotland men's national football team size = name = altlink = national football team variant =

}} || align="center"|1–1 || align="center"|1–2 || Friendly

Managerial statistics

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Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
P W D L Win %
Macclesfield Town 16 January 2020 12 August 2020

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Lincoln City 12 May 2022 18 October 2023

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Swindon Town 29 May 2024 25 October 2024

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Total

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Honours

Manchester City

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Individual

References

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  4. "Cardiff sign Kennedy from Palace" BBC Sport Retrieved on 1 June 2009
  5. "Cardiff 1–0 PNE" BBC Sport Retrieved on 5 December 2009
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  9. "Mark Kennedy profile" LFChistory.net Retrieved on 19 October 2013
  10. "Ireland record international players" rsssf.org Retrieved on 1 June 2009
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External links


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