Player-turned-coach Mark Kennedy has revealed that stepping across to the other side of the football fence was not something he always planned to do.

Town recently announced that the former Republic of Ireland international was set to retire from playing at the end of the season and assume a position in manager Paul Jewell’s backroom team for the new campaign.

But the transition has already taken place and the experienced all-rounder — he started as a flying winger but his most recent first team appearances were in a defensive role — already has some valuable experience under his belt.

Kennedy said: “This came about after many discussions with the manager over a period of time. We’ve had numerous chats about where I wanted to go and what the manager’s views were.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work it out. I’m 36 in May so it’s not as if I have 10 years left in me or anything like that. It’s something I want to do and I’m very grateful to the manager for giving me an opportunity.

“Was it always in the back of my mind? No, not at all, to be honest. As a player you just want to play and you carry on doing that. As you get older you mature and there’s a lot more responsibility attached to being a senior pro.

“But coaching didn’t really come into my mind until the last two years. I spoke quite recently to a previous manager I worked with and I asked him if he had always intended to be a coach but he said it had just happened and the same thing has happened to me.

“There was always a possibility that this would be my last year as a player and after conversations with the manager it got to the stage that we were both happy. The manager decided — and I’m really grateful to him for this — that it would probably be easier if I started now rather than wait and come in at the start of next season.”

Kennedy has not featured for Town since November when he started the 4-0 defeat at Burnley before making way for Jay Emmanuel-Thomas at half-time. Signed at a cost of £75,000 from Cardiff in the summer of 2010, he has amassed 37 appearances without scoring.

He added: “I’m still employed by the club as a player and I’m sure that if Cressy got injured I would probably be thrown in at the deep end. There was no specific time as such [to stop playing and start coaching] but I’m at that stage of my career.

“Cressy has had a great season, which hasn’t surprised me in the slightest. I was very impressed with him from the first day he walked into the club and he’s got a great future ahead of him.

“We also hope Joe Whight can push him along and get himself involved a bit more next season. As far as left-backs go, I think we are in some very capable hands."

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

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