JOHN Kennedy's move from playing to coaching was abrupt, even painful, writes Hugh MacDonald.
His knees buckled under outrageous tackles and unfortunate falls but he has strode on to make an early and promising start to a career as a youth coach.
Celtic play Barcelona on Tuesday at Cappielow in the Uefa Under-19 League and this date offers Kennedy the chance to look both back and forward. His landmark performance came when he played in central defence in a goalless draw in the Camp Nou in March 2004.
"It was one of my great moments and a big memory for me," Kennedy said. "It was something that people talk about: going to the Nou Camp, getting a positive result, and knocking Barcelona out of the Uefa Cup."
Only three years later, Kennedy, now 30, played his last match for Celtic after injuring his knee again in a fall against Shakhtar Donetsk in a Champions League match. He tried to recover for two years but finally bowed to the inevitable and now coaches the youngsters at Lennoxtown.
"You hope you can pass these experiences on to younger players and they can learn from them," said Kennedy of that night in 2004.
"Any game in the Nou Camp is a momentous occasion but we were under no great pressure, we were written off, with Barcelona expected to win by a few goals. We knew our jobs and the longer the game went on the more our confidence grew and the more Barcelona became nervous."
Now Kennedy has to prepare his players for a severe test against an outstanding Barcelona team. "We will approach these games in the same manner as the first team," he said of the campaign that also, of course, includes matches against Ajax and AC Milan. "We will try to stop them playing but will concentrate on what we do when we get the ball."
He states clearly the intention is to produce players who can move from playing under-age football against Barca at Cappielow to taking on the Catalans in the Champions League in the Camp Nou.
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