Ex-Ireland keeper quits first job as manager with ninth-tier English club after only 33 days
Paddy Kenny during his Ireland days
Former Ireland and ex-Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has resigned from his first job as a manager with ninth-tier club Goole AFC after only 33 days.
In late October, the 45-year-old made his debut as a manager, appointed as part of the new back-room team at Northern Counties East League Premier Division side Goole AFC.
It all began well, with a 5-1 win against Eccleshill United in his first league game and then a 3-0 victory over the same team in the West Riding County Cup.
However, they then went on to suffer league defeats to Hallam (3-0), Penistone Church (3-0), Campion (4-2) and Handsworth (6-1) as well as a 4-2 defeat to Frickley Athletic in the NCEL League Cup.
Paddy Kenny has now confirmed he is leaving, having missed several matches during his time at the club.
Goole currently sit 19th with 14 points from 18 games played, just a point off the bottom.
Kenny made 67 Premier League appearances during his career, while also capped seven times by Ireland.
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He is most well-remembered for his time at Sheffield United, having played over 300 times for the Blades.
Kenny was the QPR goalkeeper dramatically beaten by Sergio Aguero as the Argentinian famously clinched the title for Manchester City with a last-gasp stoppage-time strike in 2012.
The Irish keeper also featured for Leeds, among others. During the 2016-17 season, he worked as a player-goalkeeping coach at Northampton Town.
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Back in July of 2023, Kenny had declared he was no longer involved with football for his livelihood. He tweeted: "People keep asking me why I aren’t involved in football, but I’ve dipped my toes in coach @ntfc, but it wasn’t for me.
"I’ve taken a different path now in my life with my transport business, after dinners and been the best dad I can be."
While on holiday in the summer of 2009, shortly after Sheffield United suffered a play-off final defeat to Burnley, Kenny found out that he’d tested positive for ephedrine, a stimulant found in an over-the-counter cough medicine he’d taken.
He didn’t realise how serious his mistake would be until he received a nine-month ban by the FA.
“It all came out that I’d got done for drugs. To this day I still get asked, ‘Were you off your t**s?’ But I got done for negligence, that’s the difference.
“I got found not guilty for cheating because it was a genuine mistake, but I got done for negligence because I should have known what I was taking, and it was my responsibility.”
