Kenna to apply for Harriers job

Jeff Kenna will be making a formal application to become the new manager of Kidderminster Harriers as the former Aggborough star makes a play to take charge.

The 39-year-old is a free agent and living back at his Solihull home in the West Midlands, working as a community youth coach for Birmingham City as he plots a route back into full-time football.

This comes after 14 months as a League of Ireland Premier boss ended with his resignation at St Patrick's Athletic in September.

Yet the fledgling manager had worked wonders at Galway United in the previous season, steering a club hemorrhaging money who had lost most of their players to the most unlikely of relegation escapes.

And the former defender is still highly thought of among Harriers fans after spending two seasons at Aggborough towards the end of his career, even appearing for the club in the FA Trophy final at Wembley in 2007.

The former 27-cap Republic of Ireland international enjoyed an illustrious playing career with earned him a Premier League winners medal with Blackburn Rovers in 1995 after a £1.5million move from Southampton that March, and later spells at Tranmere, Wigan, Blues and Derby.

Kenna has fond memories of his time with Harriers, and believes the opportunity of kick-starting his managerial career in England with a club "of such a proud heritage" is too good to miss.

He said: "I am interested in the job and will be applying for it - it would be a fantastic place to work. I still know everybody at Aggborough and know what the place is about and, believe me, it's a great opportunity for whoever gets the job.

"It's a great club which is very well run and stable, I had two very happy years as a player and I would relish the chance to go back.

"The issue is getting it obviously but I will be asking the question, you can be sure."

If appointed, the new man at the helm would also need a right-hand man after former boss Mark Yates took No 2 Neil Howarth with him to League Two Cheltenham, and the Irishman has seen his last two assistants take managers jobs elsewhere.

Former Harriers player and physio Ian Foster was appointed at Dundalk earlier this month, while his former Galway No 2 Paul Peschisolido has been in charge at Football League club Burton since the summer.

But Kenna, strictly hypothetically, believes that void could be easily filled - should his application be successful.

He said: "I have ideas on that myself, but I would certainly not get into any of that unless I got the job. Let's just say that it wouldn't be a problem."