402: Paddy Kenny, Sheffield United, Merlin’s F.A. Premier League Official Sticker Collection 2006/07

Today Mat Jolin-Beech takes a look at a goalkeeping great with a very special relationship with a particular manager. Some times in the workplace it just clicks and it says a lot for the brilliance of Julian Speroni that today’s subject never ended up at Crystal Palace. That or maybe Jules was far less likely to go on a massive bender in Yorkshire. Over to Mat.

Goalkeepers are a special breed. Not only are they willing to put themselves literally in harm’s way, just ask Petr Cech or Carlo Cudicini amongst others, but they know any mistake will cost their team a goal. Peter Enckelman anyone. On the upside, they can legally handle the ball, get to make top saves, to be the super goalie, and get to wear some rather natty shirts. Coventry City legend Steve Ogrizovic wore his fair share.

Then there are those special breeds within the special breed. The genuine nutters who put fear into their colleagues. Think Jason Statham in Mean Machine, Oliver Kahn’s mad eyes staring at you for a slip up; or Wayne Hennessey on a night out. They often become crowd favourites due to their eccentricities and managers can fall in love with them as well. Paddy Kenny was the apple of Neil Warnock’s eye.

The manager knew a loyal servant when he saw one, signing Kenny five times for Bury, Sheffield United, Queen’s Park Rangers, Leeds United and Rotherham United. He event went as far as to say he’d pick Kenny over David James, Chris Kirkland, Paul Robinson or David Seaman; even if his first action was to put the portly Kenny on a diet! Kenny was signed by Neil Warnock at Bury in 1998, which was the beginning of an incredible connection between the two. Warnock left to manage Sheffield United in 1999, and brought Kenny to the club in 2002. After five years together, Warnock joined QPR, whilst Kenny remained in Sheffield until 2010. Warnock convinced Kenny to join him at QPR, and the pair spent two years at the club before Warnock joined Leeds in 2012. Less than six months later, Warnock signed Kenny once again, which was the fourth time the pair worked together. Remarkably, it was not the last. Leeds parted ways with their manager in 2013, before Kenny was released a year later. However, the duo could not be kept apart, as Warnock and Kenny united for a fifth time at Rotherham in 2016. Both left the club the following summer, which has proven to be the end of their professional relationship for the time being.

There are two standout moments in Kenny’s career that stick in my mind. First was a bar brawl in Halifax that saw Kenny have an eyebrow bitten off. Warnock’s dressing down included that Kenny shouldn’t be going out… in Halifax. The other, is not his nine month ban for failing a drug’s test, but a somewhat vague recollection off a penalty shootout. I can’t remember who he was playing for or who he was playing against. Nor the competition it was in. [please send any answers in on a postcard]. What I can recall was that Kenny had played well during the game. He put his body on the line in order to keep his team in the game. So much so that he picked up a side injury, meaning any movement to his left was painful and out of the question. That was a problem come the penalty shootout. Especially when the opposition, who caused said injury, knew very well about it and the mobility issues it caused. Kenny, ever the trooper, tried to play through the pain, facing up to all the penalties. But with any diving to his left out the question, just plopped to the floor to his right every time. Every penalty he faced? Slotted to his left, often without great power or accuracy. Just enough to leave him floundering on the floor. 

So, to wrap up: goalkeepers are mad; Warnock loves Kenny; don’t go out in Halifax if you value a full complement of eyebrows; and always put penalties to Kenny’s left, especially when you’ve injured him.