Class is in the blood for Fylde's Kennedy

Of all the signings that AFC Fylde have made this summer, it is arguable that few, if any, have a better footballing pedigree than Tom Kennedy.
Tom KennedyTom Kennedy
Tom Kennedy

The Coasters’ new boy, who made his debut in the 1-0 win at AFC Telford United on Saturday, is the nephew of Alan Kennedy, who scored the winner for Liverpool in the 1981 European Cup Final against Real Madrid, while his dad Keith played a decade at Bury.

Tom, once on Blackpool and Leicester City’s books, said: “He (Alan) was an ultimate attacking left-back in an unbelievable Liverpool team, but it was more my dad coaching me from when I was a youngster trying to get me to play and always kicking the ball to my left foot.

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“I started off as a central midfielder but as you get older you get pushed into different positions and left-back became my position.”

The Coasters’ new arrival added: “Throughout my career I’ve always liked to get forward and create goals which I still like to do now but I think the game has a big emphasis on keeping clean sheets.

“I still like to bomb forward as much as I can and create goals because I think that’s one of my best attributes.

“It was a bit of a shock to make my debut on Saturday. I’d been doing a lot of running but not too much ball work.

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“To go into the team and into such an important game at Telford was a baptism of fire but the lads made me feel welcome and I slotted in well.

“The heat didn’t really help with the fact that I haven’t had much training.

“In the last 20 minutes you could see that we were all starting to feel it but with the team going full time this season, it helped massively because, apart from myself, I thought the boys looked really fit.”

The 31-year-old has represented no less than seven different teams at Football League level, making more than 100 league appearance for both Bury and Rochdale.

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He also had a spell with Leicester City between 2010 and 2012 and he hopes his experience can help drive Fylde’s plans.

“They are an up-and-coming club and they want to advance through this league and into the next league,” Kennedy said.

“Going full time is a big step and you’ve got to be at it day-in, day-out.

“I think that throughout my career I’ve always been that so hopefully I can bring that to the table and we can go forward together.”

DANIEL AGNEW