As he nears the end of his playing career Mark Kennedy is in no mood to highlight — and definitely not discuss — mistakes he has made along the way. Dublin-born Kennedy, who will be 36 next month, has decided to call it a day after close on 600 games for club and country to accept an invitation from Town manager Paul Jewell to join his coaching team.

Kennedy sees it as part of his remit, apart from trying to improve players, to alert the younger ones to the potential pitfalls that await them and which, he admits, occasionally claimed him as a victim in the past.

But when asked to elaborate the former Millwall, Liverpool, Wimbledon, Manchester City, Wolves and Crystal Palace player refused to give anything away.

Kennedy said: “If you haven’t heard about them by now you don’t know enough about me and I don’t have to repeat them. If you go into any dressing room up and down the country you won’t find one person who hasn’t made a mistake in life.

“I bet you’ve [the media] all made mistakes in your lives. We’re not all angels — nobody is. We’re human beings and everybody makes mistakes. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t make a mistake. Bill Clinton made a mistake once and he was president of the biggest country in the world.

“We all make them and it’s about how you respond to them and put right your wrongs. We all know that. We’ve got a great bunch of lads and we’ve got a great dressing room. Things happen, people make mistakes, but hopefully these young lads won’t.

“If they’ve got the right guidance and the right people around them hopefully we can help them from falling into that trap. But from my point of view I don’t think we should even be discussing that because we’re trying to pick up on the positives. We’ve got a great bunch of lads, a great squad and a very good thing going on at the club here. We want to continue that.”

Kennedy is far more willing to discuss his role as a mentor, adding: “When it comes to passing on tips and advice to younger colleagues that is something I have been doing for a long period of time. As a senior pro that is your responsibility.

“We’ve got a few senior lads who are brilliant with the young lads, not just myself. I could reel a few names off. It’s part and parcel of being a footballer to help out the young lads as much as you can, take that little bit of pressure off and give them bits of advice, either during games or off the pitch altogether.

“You don’t have time to hear all the names of people who helped me in my career. There are loads and loads of them and it would be unfair to name one over all the others, from my parents to my managers, my friends and past girlfriends. I’ve learned a lot about being a decent person and stuff like that.”

Photo: Action Images

Dissboyitfc added 07:43 - Apr 20 Seems a Great Guy...coyb
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blueblood66 added 07:48 - Apr 20 Good to see Mark sticking with us and coaching. Good luck Mark.
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Kesgraveblue57 added 08:38 - Apr 20 This is a good move for the town, glad you are staying with us Mark
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BlueMeAway added 08:44 - Apr 20 * is IN no mood
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Paddy39 added 09:33 - Apr 20 He will be a real asset to the player/coaching staff here at Town. Manager deserves credit for this appointment. PJ don't forget, Goal Keeper, CB, RB and another striker shame we missed out on Jason Roberts. COYB's
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Toepunt added 10:13 - Apr 20 Mistakes are indeed easily made... "Bill Clinton made a mistake once and he was president of the biggest country in the world." Don't think Bill Clinton was ever president of Russia! Just thought I'd point it out before someone else did and blamed Paul Jewell ;-) Agree with Paddy, Mark has a lot to offer as a coach.
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jas0999 added 10:27 - Apr 20 Good news that Mark remains as a coach. We clearly didn't see the best of him as a player, although he never let us down. Overall he had a great career and has much to offer. However, with PJ getting rid of O'Connor and with Kennedy now a coach, we are lacking competion at left back. Assume this, along with GK, CB and RB will be addressed in the Summer? Also need a couple of strikers and replacements for Murphy, Leadbitter and Bowyer (Hyam would suffice!).

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stinkiusminkius added 10:29 - Apr 20 Has Kennedy started coaching with us already? Just wondering whether the improvement in our defensive displays coincides with him being behind the scenes?
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bobble added 10:59 - Apr 20 could we get bill clinton in to bolster up our forward thrusting ?
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BillBlue added 11:13 - Apr 20 This seems like a very good thing to me and I firmly believe Paul Jewell is building something special and long term here at Portman Road. Jas, am pleased to see even you are beginning to tone your remarks down. COYB
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Mark added 12:25 - Apr 20 He talks a lot of sense, so good luck to Kennedy in the coaching role. I hope that Joe Whight would now be considered the backup to Aaron Cresswell at left-back. Whether he is good enough for that, I do not know, but better to give a youngster a chance rather than bring in a new experienced left-back I think (who would get frustrated at lack of first-team football or could stop Cresswell's progression if he got ahead of him).

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Pessimistic added 12:32 - Apr 20 I reserve jusdgement on this but I wish him all the best in his persuit of his coaching badges.
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Crock added 13:03 - Apr 20 "Bill Clinton made a mistake once and he was president of the biggest country in the world." When was Clinton president of Russia? I must have missed that.
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Tiggs added 13:48 - Apr 20 Such a shame he didn't play in a good side at Ipswich in his earlier years. Good luck sir.....
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harlingblue added 20:44 - Apr 20 Good to see a footballing defender added to the Coaching staff, no doubt his input has helped during the last few months? Our defense (keeper) has been much improved in the last few months, being a settled unit, working for each other.
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