John Kennedy: 'Once decision was made to, retire it was a weight off my shoulders'

Published on Thursday 26 November 2009 23:00

JOHN Kennedy admits the decision to call time on his career after eight operations failed to clear up his knee injury came as a relief.

• John Kennedy reflects on his career being ended after failing to recover fully from a knee injury he suffered making his debut for Scotland at Hampden in 2004. Picture: SNS

The 26-year-old Celtic defender's injury woes dated back more than five years to his international debut for Scotland in a friendly against Romania in March 2004, when he suffered a serious knee ligament injury following a reckless challenge by Romania striker Ionel Ganea.

He was out of the Hoops first team for over three years before returning on 22 April, 2007, to help Celtic clinch the Clydesdale Bank Premier League title with a 2-1 victory at Kilmarnock. But the following November he was stretchered off during a Champions League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk at Celtic Park with further damage to the same knee.

A loan spell at Norwich last summer proved just as depressing as he returned to Glasgow at the end of the year after again damaging his knee and a fortnight ago, Kennedy acted on medical advice to officially retire from the game.

Kennedy, who claims he has not considered legal action against Ganea, said: "It was getting to the point where I had so many surgeries and so many comebacks that it was vital for someone to make the decision for me. Once the decision was made, it was, I suppose, a weight off my shoulders. I don't have to keep worrying about trying to get fit again or what people are thinking about my knee.

"As positive and as strong as I felt, I always had this slight fear in the back of my mind that at any minute something might happen. But I can close that book and look forward to doing something else, a new challenge.

"I've had great support from my family and the club and that has helped me massively. It has been tough in that I haven't played as much football as I'd have liked but off the park I've had as good a life as anyone."

Kennedy revealed how the devastating advice was given to him when he made yet another trip to America to see a specialist. "I was asked to go back to America for tests and check-ups," he said. "I spent two days with the doctor and his staff and then he sat me down in his office, along with two other doctors, and spent a lot of time going through all my operations.

"He shocked me when he told me I had been through eight surgeries. He then told me that for the sake of my future and for my life with my kids that it would be best that I considered retiring. You don't want to hear it but it's in the back of your mind."

Kennedy added: "When I went there I was open-minded. My knee was feeling good but I knew that the more times I injured it the slimmer the chance of getting back again.

"I would have kept trying until I did myself some serious damage so I think it was the right decision. It was a no-brainer to take his advice. There are people much worse off than me so I have to get on with it."

Kennedy again used the "closed book" analogy when describing his thoughts on Ganea.

"The tackle and the player has been a closed book for me for a long time," he said. "Maybe back then, nearer the time, there was slight bitterness but it is one of these things that happens. I never had any personal contact with him.

"I think I read once that he had said sorry or something like that but to me personally, nothing came but it is not something that concerns me. It is not going to make me any better knowing that the guy who tackled me is sorry for what he done.

" You can dwell on it and let it get to you but I haven't, I have just put it behind me and I have tried not to think too much about it. So I want to close that book and have good memories of the career I had and look forward to the future."