Quinn tribute to his former team-mate Mick Kennedy
NIALL Quinn yesterday paid tribute to ‘a great bloke’ and a ‘card shark’ in Mick Kennedy, the former Irish midfielder, who passed away on Sunday aged 57. Quinn and Kennedy each won their first two caps in the ‘Reykjavik 500’ tournament in 1986. Whereas Quinn went on to make another 90 appearances, Kennedy (below) never got another look-in. ‘Mick elbowed one of the Czechoslovakian players and Jack (Charlton) got the hump over that. I remember Jack had serious words with him about it after the match,’ recalled Quinn yesterday. With pints of beer at £7 in Iceland, playing cards helped to pass the time before the squad returned to London. ‘When we arrived back at Heathrow, we were settling all our debts from the poker schools,’ said Quinn. ‘And Mick was like a bookies’ clerk with the pencil behind his ear and a piece of paper in his hand working it all out. Mick was a real card shark.’ ‘I played against Mick loads of times. Against Luton and Portsmouth, he would come right through you when going for the ball even though you were his international teammate. ‘It’s terrible news that Mick has died at such a young age. He was a fierce competitor on the pitch but a really great bloke off it.’