TELL ME HOW YOUR MOVE TO AIRDRIE CAME ABOUT. 
I’d decided at the end of last season I’d played in England long enough so my wife and I decided a little trip back to Scotland was the way we wanted to live our lives, if you like. So we moved back up the road, then I spoke to the gaffer and he was quite keen so we got it sorted fairly quickly. 

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WHAT'S THE STANDARD IN ENGLAND LIKE COMPARED TO HERE?
It’s a hard one to say to be honest, I don’t think there’s a tremendous difference in terms of ability. What I did think was that the majority of teams are all bigger. Down there the majority of teams will have at least six – but some teams will have eight or nine – 6ft plus players so it is perhaps a little more physical.

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EVERYONE PROBABLY REMEMBERS YOU BEST PLAYING FOR PARTICK THISTLE. WERE THERE ANY MEMORABLE MOMENTS IN GAMES AGAINST AIRDRIE?
I can’t really remember to be honest! It seems so long ago, I’ve been down south for five years and I played for Partick for a long time but I genuinely can’t remember a particular game.

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YOU WERE ALSO ONCE INVOLVED IN A SCOTLAND SQUAD, WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?
It was nice to be involved. It was something that was pleasing when it happened but it was a long time ago, almost ten years ago. I think I’ll take more time when I stop playing to look back but right now it doesn’t really come in your psyche.

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WAS GOING PART-TIME WITH AIRDRIE AN EASY DECISION?
Yeah it was to be honest, I’ve been developing my own business for the past four or five years down in England and my plan always was to come back to Scotland working full-time on my business and part-time football. I’m really enjoying it; we train three times a week which is a massive difference in terms of volume of training between full-time and part-time. That might sound daft but in terms of quality of training there’s very little difference but obviously from a lifestyle point of view it allows me to work on my goalkeeper glove business.

 

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA TO LAUNCH YOUR OWN BRAND AND HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT STARTING IT UP?
When I played for Partick I did a business degree at Glasgow Caley. Playing full-time football we always finished at lunchtime so I could cram all my lectures in the afternoon, and some at evenings, so was able to get my degree. I did a couple of bits and pieces work experience wise up here, didn’t really like it, and when I moved down to England you’re away from your family and mates so there was a lot more free time. I’ve always been interested in business extensively: how to develop a product, how to source a product, how to market a product etc, and worked towards it in small stages.

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HAS ANDY DUNCAN ASKED FOR A PAIR YET?
He’s had several pairs to be fair! He’s a good goalkeeper with a lot of potential; I think goalies always like to look after each other.

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DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AS A ROLE MODEL TO ANDY, BECAUSE OF THE AGE DIFFERENCE?
Not at all, he’s his own person and I’m my own person. I enjoy working with him, he’s a good lad but I wouldn’t be disrespectful to his ability to say that I should be a role model to anybody.

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THE GLOVES ARE OBVIOUSLY HELPING YOU! WERE THE SQUAD EXPECTING TO HAVE DONE SO WELL IN THE FIRST FEW GAMES?
I don’t think anyone is in any way getting carried away with ourselves. We’ve played two league games, such a small percentage, and we know it’s going to be a long hard season and we know in any game we will need to be at the absolute top of our game to give ourselves an opportunity to take something out of it. And we know that and we’re all prepared for it.

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For more information on Kenny’s goalkeeping gloves, visit http://www.kagoalkeeping.co.uk/. 

Interview by Douglas Barrie.