ALAN NEVER WALKS ALONE
England call-up for Kennedy
ALAN KENNEDY is walking on air as he prepares to makes his England comeback – after a 34-year gap.
The Liverpool legend is part of the national walking football over-60s side that will face their Welsh counterparts at Barry Town United today.
A walk in the park then for a player who scored the winner in the 1981 European Cup victory over Real Madrid and the decisive penalty three years later when Roma were rumbled?
Not so, says Kennedy, now 64 and playing regularly for Liverpool’s community section, Red Neighbours.
“There is a bit of difference between walking football with us and walking football with England,” he said. “There are rules with England and I have to be careful I do not overstep the mark.
“I am learning how to play the game all over again. It is quite painful because, when I was playing professionally, once I passed the ball I had to get there as quickly as possible.
“I sometimes want to be wherever the ball is. That is my natural instinct. I just have to be a little bit careful and try to rein myself in a bit.” By a strange coincidence, Kennedy made the last of his two appearances for Bobby Robson’s England 34 years ago when Wales won 1-0 with Mark Hughes scoring the winner.
He said: “It is very special to be named for England at walking football, especially against Wales. It is nice to be called up. I am grateful to the people involved.
“It is a strange one really. I am used to playing football, obviously I am, but walking football is a little bit different. I love it, though.”
As well as enjoying the Red Neighbours sessions, the former flying left-back works for Liverpool on match days. And he is delighted with the way his old club have started the season and the brand of football they are playing.
Kennedy said: “I think they are just taking it each game as it comes and that is the right thing to do. But they have got some tricky games coming up.
“I am very much enjoying watching them play. It is a treat, and the fans are up for it. They are doing so well.”