When Palmerstown Rangers travelled from Ireland to compete in the Sotonia Cup – long since defunct – 12 year-old Jeff Kenna made such an impression that he was asked to stay on and train with the Southampton lads. He would return to Southampton during his school holidays, duly signing pro at 18.

Capable of operating on either flank, he was most comfortable as an attacking right-back – in which position he made his full debut in the last game of 1990-91. That was also the end of Chris Nicholl’s tenure as manager. The incoming Ian Branfoot initially favoured Jason Dodd, but Jason had to share the No.2 shirt with Jeff in 1992-93.

In Branfoot’s last full season, though, Jeff made the position his own. Alan Ball kept faith with him, until Kenny Dalglish tempted Jeff to Blackburn, where he hoped “to win things.” He arrived in time to pick up a Premier League championship medal and then to play in the Champions League. It would never be that good again, but Jeff had had five more seasons with Rovers, surviving managerial changes and relegation, when Graeme Souness took over in March 2000. Injured at the time and approaching 30, Jeff would never find favour with Souness. As Blackburn were on the way back up to the Premiership, Jeff was out on loan.

Eventually, he jumped at the chance to make permanent his loan to second-tier Birmingham. Under his captaincy, the Blues won promotion, via the 2002 play-offs. After two seasons back in the top flight, he dropped down a division again to become George Burley’s club captain at Derby. His playing career finished at Conference Kidderminster, where he brought his professional appearances over the 500-mark, including 27 full Ireland caps.

He went back to Ireland for a managerial fling, quickly graduating from Galway – where he surprised himself by playing a handful of games, in which he was “the best player on the park for 30 minutes” – to St Patrick’s Athletic. But the commute became too much, so he moved his family to Florida for a while but returned in 2011 to his home in the Midlands.