Joshua Kennedy

Jo-shua Blake Kennedy (born 20 August 1982 in Wodonga, Victoria, Victoria (Australia), Australia) is an Australian Association football (soccer) player who plays as a striker for the Australian national football team and Karlsruher SC.

Club career

The 1.94 m tall central forward began playing junior football in his home town of Wodonga in south-east Australia with Twin City Wanderers and later SS&A Boomers. His talents won a scholarship place in the Australian Institute of Sport Football (Soccer) Program, leading to a professional contract at new National Soccer League club Carlton S.C. in 1999, alongside fellow AIS graduates Vince Grella and Mark Bresciano.

After a season, he made a move to Europe transferring to Fussball-Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg. His debut as a Substitute (football) coming on five minutes from time in the 4-4 draw against fellow Northern German side Hamburger SV on 13 September 2000, at age 17 made him the youngest player ever to appear for VfL. It was his only appearance for the first team that year, and the following season brought little change for Kennedy as he managed just seven appearances for the Bundesliga side, starting only once. However, he scored two goals in the 2001–02 season, with his first ever Bundesliga goal coming on 8 September 2001 against Energie Cottbus.

At the start of the following season Kennedy was transferred to Regionalliga Süd side Stuttgarter Kickers, where he was a regular feature playing 23 games for the Swabian side. After just one season Kennedy left for Cologne where he joined (at the time) Bundesliga club 1. FC Köln. However he mostly played for their reserve team in the Regionalliga Nord, where he was the club's second-top scorer of the season with nine goals in twenty-three games.

Having just won promotion to 2. Fußball-Bundesliga, Dynamo Dresden were looking for a striker and found it in the then 22-year old Victoria (Australia). This transfer, his fourth in four years, proved to be a vital one in Kennedy's career. He immediately found a first-team spot with the Saxony side and played in all of the club's thirty-four league matches - again becoming the second-top scorer of his club with nine goals. The following season he was again an integral part in the club's fight against relegation scoring seven goals and setting up four. This attracted the interest of Bundesliga club 1. FC Nuremberg who signed Kennedy to a three-year contract, and of Australian national coach Guus Hiddink who called the previously Cap (sport) Kennedy up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup (squads) Australia for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

In July 2006, during his first training session with Nuremberg, Kennedy ruptured his right achilles tendon. He was not expected to be fit again until January 2007.

Fellow German Fußball-Bundesliga club Karlsruher SC on 11 January 2008 announced the signing of Kennedy via an undisclosed transfer fee. He is contracted until June 2011. His first goal for Karlsruher came on his debut against his former club Nuremberg in what would turn out to be a cruel twist of fate for the latter - just weeks after leaving them.

International career

In 1999, Kennedy represented Australia at the U17 World cup and the Young Socceroos in 2001 at the U20 Youth World Cup in Argentina.

Kennedy received his first international cap in a pre-2006 World Cup friendly against Liechtenstein national football team and made his mark in this game with a headed goal. He came on as a substitute in Australia's first FIFA World Cup 2006 game, in which Australia beat Japan national football team 3-1 by scoring three goals in the last eight minutes. Kennedy was touted as Hiddink's secret weapon against the Japanese because he was taller than all of the Japanese defenders. He followed this up with a second appearance as a substitute in Australia's third Group Stage game against Croatia national football team. Commentator Simon Hill announced on his arrival on the pitch in the match memorably remarked "Here comes Josh Kennedy, whose looks have been likened to Jesus. Let's hope he can be Australia's saviour."

Injury prevented Kennedy from participating in Australia's disappointing 2007 AFC Asian Cup campaign. Kennedy was recalled to the Socceroos squad to face Argentina national football team in a friendly on 11 September. On 6 February 2008, he scored his second international against goal Qatar national football team in a FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifier held in Melbourne, Victoria, his third against South Africa, fourth against Holland and his fifth against Qatar again.

Family

Kennedy is married to Australian national basketball player, Jacinta Hamilton.

Honours

With Australia national football (soccer) team:
- FIFA U-17 World Championship: 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship (Runners-Up)
With 1. FC Nuremberg
- DFB-Pokal: DFB Cup 2006-07