{{short description|English footballer (born 1954)}} {{other uses}} {{BLP sources|date=March 2013}} {{Use British English|date=May 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Alan Kennedy |image = Alan Kennedy.jpg |caption = |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|8|31|df=y}} |birth_place = Penshaw, England |height = 5 ft 9 in<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Dunk |editor-first=Peter |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |date=1987 |page=352 |isbn=978-0-356-14354-5}}</ref> |position = Left back |youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 = |years1 = 1972–1978 |clubs1 = Newcastle United |caps1 = 158 |goals1 = 9 |years2 = 1978–1986 |clubs2 = Liverpool |caps2 = 251 |goals2 = 15 |years3 = 1986–1987 |clubs3 = Sunderland |caps3 = 54 |goals3 = 2 |years4 = 1987 |clubs4 = Wigan Athletic |caps4 = 22 |goals4 = 0 |years5 = 1987 |clubs5 = Hartlepool United |caps5 = 5 |goals5 = 0 |years6 = 1987 |clubs6 = B 1903 |caps6 = |goals6 = |years7 = 1988 |clubs7 = Beerschot |caps7 = |goals7 = |years8 = 1988–1989 |clubs8 = Northwich Victoria |caps8 = |goals8 = |years9 = 1989 |clubs9 = Colne Dynamoes |caps9 = |goals9 = |years10 = 1989–1990 |clubs10 = Wrexham |caps10 = 16 |goals10 = 0 |years11 = 1990–1991 |clubs11 = Morecambe |caps11 = |goals11 = |years12 = 1991–1992 |clubs12 = Netherfield |caps12 = |goals12 = |years13 = 1992–1993 |clubs13 = Radcliffe Borough |caps13 = |goals13 = |years14 = 1993–1994 |clubs14 = Barrow |caps14 = |goals14 = |totalcaps = 506 |totalgoals = 26 |nationalyears1 = 1974–1976 |nationalteam1 = England U23 |nationalcaps1 = 6 |nationalgoals1 = 0 |nationalyears2 = 1978–1980 |nationalteam2 = England B |nationalcaps2 = 7 |nationalgoals2 = 2 |nationalyears3 = 1984 |nationalteam3 = England |nationalcaps3 = 2 |nationalgoals3 = 0 }}
'''Alan Kennedy''' (born 31 August 1954) is an English former professional footballer who played the majority of his career as a left back for Newcastle United and then Liverpool. He was a stalwart member of the latter team that won many honours from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. At different times Kennedy was active as a professional in England, Denmark, Belgium and Wales, making over 500 appearances in a career that lasted for 22 years. He also represented England at senior international level.
==Club career== Born in Sunderland, Kennedy started his professional career at the age of 18 for Newcastle United. After establishing his place in the side he played there for five years. He was a member of the team that lost the 1974 FA Cup Final to Liverpool. In 1978 he was transferred to Liverpool for £330,000, at the time a British record amount for a full-back.
Kennedy scored in the 1981 League Cup Final against West Ham, which ended 1–1 and was won by Liverpool in the replay. He scored the equalising goal with 15 minutes left in the game in the 1983 League Cup Final against Manchester United, a match Liverpool went on to win in extra time. Kennedy was a member of two other League Cup–winning Liverpool teams: in 1982 (against Tottenham Hotspur) and 1984 (against Everton).
In the 1981 European Cup Final against Real Madrid, Kennedy scored the only goal of the match late in the second half.
The 1984 European Cup Final between Liverpool and Roma was tied at 1–1 after extra time, so the winner was determined by penalty kicks. Kennedy scored the decisive penalty (the fifth taken by the team, the fourth that was successful) that clinched the victory for Liverpool.
Kennedy was a regular player in the Liverpool teams that won five league championship titles, in 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83 and 1983–84.
==International career== He also earned two caps for the England national team in 1984.<ref name="NFT">{{NFT player|id=18683|accessdate=}}</ref>
==Personal life== His elder brother is fellow footballer Keith Kennedy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.11v11.com/players/keith-kennedy-37552/|title=Keith Kennedy Football Player Statistics | 11v11.com}}</ref> His nephew is Tom Kennedy, Keith's son.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Liverpool-legend-Alan-Kennedy-backs-nephew-Tom-big-hit-Leicester-City/story-12063994-detail/story.html#axzz2ONJk4zAJ|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505132449/http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Liverpool-legend-Alan-Kennedy-backs-nephew-Tom-big-hit-Leicester-City/story-12063994-detail/story.html%23axzz2ONJk4zAJ#axzz2ONJk4zAJ|url-status=dead|title=Alan Kennedy nephew Tom Kennedy backed to be big hit|date=15 June 2010|publisher=This Is Leicestershire|archive-date=5 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/5940837.madens-double-sends-kids/|title=Maden's double sends kids through|date=19 October 2002|website=Lancashire Telegraph}}</ref>
In 2019 and 2020, Kennedy featured as a guest substitute player in both seasons of ITV show ''Harry's Heroes'', which featured former football manager Harry Redknapp attempting to return a squad of former England international footballers to sufficient fitness for a game against Germany legends.<ref>{{cite web |title="Harry's Heroes: The Full English" Episode #2.1 (TV Episode 2020) |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11559664/ |website=IMDb}}</ref>
==Honours== '''Newcastle United''' *FA Cup runner-up: 1973–74<ref>{{cite book |first1=Leslie |first2=Jack |last1=Vernon |last2=Rollin |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1977–78 |year=1977 |publisher=Brickfield Publications Ltd |location=London |isbn=0354-09018-6 |page=491}}</ref>
'''Liverpool''' *Football League First Division: 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985-86 *Football League Cup: 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84 *European Cup: 1980–81, 1983–84 *FA Charity Shield: 1979, 1980, 1982
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/alan-kennedy Profile] at the Liverpool F.C. website * {{UEFA player}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Alan}} Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Sunderland Category:Men's association football defenders Category:English men's footballers Category:England men's international footballers Category:England men's under-23 international footballers Category:Newcastle United F.C. players Category:Liverpool F.C. players Category:Sunderland A.F.C. players Category:Wigan Athletic F.C. players Category:Hartlepool United F.C. players Category:Boldklubben 1903 players Category:K Beerschot VAC players Category:Northwich Victoria F.C. players Category:Wrexham A.F.C. players Category:Colne Dynamoes F.C. players Category:Morecambe F.C. players Category:Kendal Town F.C. players Category:Radcliffe F.C. players Category:Barrow A.F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:English expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Denmark Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Denmark Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Belgium Category:UEFA Champions League–winning players Category:20th-century English sportsmen