Kai Kennedy
{{Short description|Scottish footballer (born 2002)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Kai Kennedy
| full_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|3|28|df=y}}
| birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland
| height =
| position = Left winger
| currentclub = Queen of the South
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 = 2009–2019
| youthclubs1 = Rangers
| years1 = 2019–2023
| clubs1 = Rangers
| caps1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| clubs2 = → Inverness Caledonian Thistle (loan)
| years2 = 2020–2021
| caps2 = 8
| goals2 = 1
| years3 = 2021
| clubs3 = → Raith Rovers (loan)
| caps3 = 16
| goals3 = 1
| years4 = 2021
| clubs4 = → Dunfermline Athletic (loan)
| caps4 = 14
| goals4 = 1
| years5 = 2022
| clubs5 = → Hamilton Academical (loan)
| caps5 = 7
| goals5 = 1
| years6 = 2022–2023
| clubs6 = → Falkirk (loan)
| caps6 = 29
| goals6 = 9
| years7 = 2023–2024
| clubs7 = York City
| caps7 = 14
| goals7 = 0
| years8 = 2024–
| clubs8 = Queen of the South
| caps8 = 23
| goals8 = 2
| nationalyears1 = 2018
| nationalteam1 = Scotland U16
| nationalcaps1 = 1
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2018–2019
| nationalteam2 = Scotland U17
| nationalgoals2 = 1
| nationalcaps2 = 7
| nationalyears3 = 2018–2019
| nationalteam3 = Scotland U18
| nationalcaps3 =
| nationalgoals3 = 3
| nationalyears4 = 2019–2020
| nationalteam4 = Scotland U19
| nationalcaps4 = 4
| nationalgoals4 = 1
| nationalyears5 = 2021
| nationalteam5 = Scotland U21
| nationalcaps5 = 1
| nationalgoals5 = 0
| club-update = 11:34, 2 May 2025 (UTC)
| nationalteam-update = 6 October 2020
}}
Kai Alexander Kennedy (born 28 March 2002) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a winger for {{Scottish football updater|QueenOTS}} club Queen of the South.
Club career
Kennedy came through the youth system at Rangers. On 15 June 2018, Kennedy signed a three-year contract with the club.{{ Cite news | url=https://rangers.co.uk/news/academy-news/hardie-signs-new-deal/| work=Rangers.co.uk | publisher=Rangers Football Club| date=15 June 2018| title=Hardie Signs New Deal | first=Nick | last=Thomson}} Kennedy debuted for the first-team at Rangers on 17 January 2020 in a Scottish Cup match against Stranraer at Ibrox Stadium.{{ Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51058102 | title=Rangers 2–0 Stranraer | website=BBC Sport | date=17 January 2020}}
In late September 2020, it was reported by the Daily Record that Kennedy was being chased by multiple clubs including Sheffield United, Manchester City, Roma and Bayern Munich due to a contract dispute with Rangers.{{Cite news|last=McDougall|first=Mark|date=2020-09-29|title=Kai Kennedy wanted by Sheffield United as Rangers youngster weighs up Ibrox exit|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/kai-kennedy-wanted-sheffield-united-22762940|access-date=2020-10-04|newspaper=Daily Record}} In October 2020 he was loaned to Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Championship.{{Cite news|last=McDougall|first=Mark|date=2020-10-04|title=Kai Kennedy closes in on Rangers exit as teen prepares to join Inverness on loan|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/kai-kennedy-closes-rangers-exit-22789885|access-date=2020-10-04|newspaper=Daily Record}}{{Cite web|date=2020-10-04|title=Kai Kennedy joins ICTFC on loan|url=https://ictfc.com/kai-kennedy-joins-ictfc-on-loan|access-date=2020-10-04|website=ICTFC.com|language=en-GB}}
On 5 January 2021, Kennedy's loan at Inverness Caledonian Thistle was cut-short due to homesickness after Scotland was placed into another full lockdown, leaving him with the inability to travel between Inverness and his family in Glasgow.{{Cite web|date=2021-01-05|title=Rangers wonderkid set to return to Ibrox as loan deal comes to an end|url=https://www.rangersnews.uk/news/rangers-wonderkid-set-to-return-to-ibrox-as-loan-deal-comes-to-an-end/|access-date=2021-07-28|website=Rangers News|language=en-GB|archive-date=4 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904133247/https://www.rangersnews.uk/news/rangers-wonderkid-set-to-return-to-ibrox-as-loan-deal-comes-to-an-end/|url-status=dead}}
On 8 January 2021, Kennedy signed a new contract with Rangers until the summer of 2023. On the same day he signed a loan deal with Raith Rovers until the end of the season.{{Cite web|title=Kai Kennedy Signs New Contract Extension|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/kai-kennedy-signs-new-contract-extension/2BqEqVKJTgpjkP7lYyJ9NW|access-date=2021-07-28|website=www.rangers.co.uk|language=en-gb}}{{Cite web|title=Kai Kennedy {{!}} Raith Rovers FC|url=https://www.raithrovers.net/46165/kai-kennedy.htm|access-date=2021-07-28|website=www.raithrovers.net|archive-date=25 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125200616/https://www.raithrovers.net/46165/kai-kennedy.htm|url-status=dead}} On 22 July 2021, Kennedy returned to Fife with Dunfermline Athletic, signing a season-long loan deal.{{cite web |url=https://dafc.co.uk/story.php?t=Kai_Kennedy_arrives_at_Dunfermline&ID=13233 |title=Kai Kennedy arrives at Dunfermline |publisher=Dunfermline Athletic FC |date=22 July 2021 |accessdate=22 July 2021}} Kennedy was recalled by his parent club during the January transfer window.{{cite web |url=https://www.dunfermlinepress.com/news/19821084.dunfermline-lewis-martin-wins-contract-kai-kennedy-future-revealed/ |title=Dunfermline: Lewis Martin wins contract as Kai Kennedy future revealed |first=Ross |last=Hart |work=Dunfermline Press |publisher=Newsquest |date=3 January 2022 |accessdate=3 January 2022}} On 14 January 2022, Kennedy joined Scottish Championship side Hamilton Academical on loan for the remainder of the 2021–22 season.{{Cite web |url=https://hamiltonacciesfc.co.uk/kennedy-signs-for-accies/ |title=Kennedy signs for Accies |publisher=Hamilton Academical FC |date=14 January 2022 |accessdate=14 January 2022 |archive-date=14 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114171220/https://hamiltonacciesfc.co.uk/kennedy-signs-for-accies/ |url-status=dead }} On 14 July 2022, Kennedy was loaned to Falkirk for the 2022–23 season {{cite web |url=https://www.falkirkfc.co.uk/2022/07/14/kai-kennedy-joins-the-bairns/ |title=KAI KENNEDY JOINS THE BAIRNS |publisher=Falkirk FC |website=falkirkfc.co.uk |date=14 July 2022 |accessdate=15 July 2022}} and was then released by Rangers at the end of that season.{{ cite news | url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-confirm-academy-departures/3R2gMwVkDdvbdSrHg5yn2U | title=RANGERS CONFIRM ACADEMY DEPARTURES | publisher=Rangers Football Club | work=Rangers.co.uk | date=1 June 2023 }}
During August 2023, Kennedy joined York City.{{cite web |last1=Ramsay |first1=Gabriel |title=Kai Kennedy joins York City from Scottish giants Rangers |url=https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/sport/yorkcityfc/23746096.kai-kennedy-joins-york-city-scottish-giants-rangers/ |website=York Press |access-date=25 August 2023 |date=24 August 2023}}
On 24 June 2024, Kennedy signed a one-year contract with Queen of the South.https://www.qosfc.com/news-6418
International career
Kennedy has represented Scotland at various youth levels up to under-19s. He was promoted to the under-21 squad in November 2020.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54717063 |title=Aaron Hickey: Bologna left-back given first Scotland Under-21 call-up |first=Clive |last=Lindsay |website=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |date=28 October 2020 |access-date=28 October 2020}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 21 January 2023}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup !colspan="2"|League cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="3"|Rangers
|0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21
|Scottish Premiership |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Inverness Caledonian Thistle (loan)
|8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | |
| Raith Rovers (loan)
|Scottish Championship |16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 1 | |
| Dunfermline Athletic (loan)
|Scottish Championship |14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | |
| Hamilton Academical (loan)
|Scottish Championship |7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | |
| Falkirk (loan)
|29 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 9 | |
| colspan="3"|Career total
!74 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 84 | 13 |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Queen of the South F.C. squad}}
External links
- {{Soccerbase|114879|Kai Kennedy}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Kai}}
Category:Scottish men's footballers
Category:Footballers from Glasgow
Category:Men's association football wingers
Category:Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. players
Category:Raith Rovers F.C. players
Category:Dunfermline Athletic F.C. players
Category:Hamilton Academical F.C. players
Category:Scotland men's youth international footballers
Category:Scotland men's under-21 international footballers