Making his debut in the League Cup away at Lincoln Moorlands back in November, Kennedy has been ever present between the sticks for Retford FC. In his eight games for the club, he has been on the winning side five times, with three clean sheets and a penalty save on his debut.

He took time out to speak to us about his time with Retford so far...

With your big profile locally a lot of people raised eyebrows when the club announced you were signing for the Club. What was behind your decision to join Retford Football Club?
"I’ve always stayed in contact with Adam Scott and Aaron Pickersgill so after leaving a toxic environment and having a couple of months off, I wanted to get back to just enjoying playing football and they both said they were enjoying it and that It was a very good club to be at and one that was going in the right direction."

We know you had a chat with the manager before you signed, now you have played and been around the team and the club. What do you think of the club and it's vision?
"After speaking to Chris, his enthusiasm for not just football but the club as whole came across very well and I think it has a lot of potential, especially one that has only existed for 3 years. In the short space of time I have been at the club I’ve seen that the club are continuing to develop and make strides off the pitch to put a solid, lasting infrastructure in place."

What are your aims for the season personally?
"My personal aim is to play as many games as possible and we can push on for the last part of the season to hopefully be challenging for the league title come the end of the season."

Who's impressed you in the squad since joining the club?
"I have genuinely been impressed with the squad as a whole so think it would be unfair to single anyone out. Some have played higher and you could easily take any number of players and they wouldn’t look out of place in and NCEL Premier side."

What has impressed you about the club since joining?
"As previously mentioned I’ve been impressed with how the club are moving off the field and some clubs a few divisions higher don’t have anywhere near the standard of facilities available here. Everyone involved in the club are enthusiastic, genuine, positive people and that goes a long way at a football club. Also I must mention the level of support at games hasn’t gone un-noticed either, again, that’s a good sign for the future."

The management have mentioned in programme notes how important it is having you in the changing rooms. How do you feel about that?
" It’s always nice to be appreciated and thought of that way so I feel honoured, it’s a good set of lads and management team with a great spirit so I just want to help in anyway I can."

Adam Scott has been injured as has Leigh Hutchinson. Do you feel the results that didn't go the teams way at the end of 2017 would have been different if they were available?
"Yes definitely! We struggled for goals just before Xmas and it wasn’t for lack of effort but to have Adam Scott, Leigh Hutchinson, Will Tomlinson and Gaz Davies missing for a long period of time were big losses. When everyone is fit and available, it’s a very strong squad."

Finally, what's been your highlight so far in a Retford FC shirt?
"I think the early penalty save on my debut away at Lincoln moorlands, after not playing for a while was pleasing and even more so for us to go on and grind out a 1-0."

Thank you for taking the time to speak to us Jon, let's hope we can keep the good form of 2018 so far going in the next game next weekend against Dronfield Town Reserves.