Joe Kendrick (footballer, born 1983)

Joe Kendrick (born 26 June 1983 in Dublin, Ireland) is a professional footballer, currently at Blyth Spartans, who can play Left back or Centre back and is a Republic of Ireland under 21 international.

Kendrick started his career at Newcastle United as a promising young player and played youth and reserve team football and spent 4 years at St James Park before moving on to TSV 1860 München in the summer of 2004. Kendrick started brightly at 1860 Munich before a foot injury halted his progress.

Kendrick returned to England and played for Darlington at the end of the 2005–06 season and 2006–07 and went on to make fifty appearances for the Quakers.

Kendrick joined Torquay United on a short-term deal earlier in the summer of 2006 but left Plainmoor before even kicking a ball due to a problem gaining international clearance to play.

In September 2006 Kendrick joined Conference National side Tamworth, but left due to travelling problems from his home in Newcastle in January 2007 after only making 15 appearances for the club.

In January 2007, Kendrick joined Workington and quickly became a firm fans favourite in which Workington had lost the services of two left backs during the 2006/07 season. He made his debut for Workington in the Conference North match against Hucknall Town on 27 January 2007.

Kendrick scored his first goal for Workington on 23 March 2007 against Nuneaton Borough with a spectacular 40-yard shot over the keeper into the net in the 2–0 win. On 14 January 2008 Kendrick was snapped up by then Irish champions Drogheda United and went on to make 45 appearances and also play in the Champions League qualifiers the same year.

In January 2009, Kendrick was signed by Azerbaijan Premier League giants Neftchi Baku on an 18month contract, after manager Hans-Jürgen Gede had been on a scouting trip to League of Ireland. Shortly after Kendrick signed with Neftchi Baku, Gede was sacked and replaced by Boyukagha Aghayev, who promptley took a dislike to the foreign players at Neftchi and began forcing them out of the club. After a series of threatening phone-calls, with-held wages, misinformation about club commitments and even a punch to the head in training by the clubs captain, Kendrick's contract was cancelled by Neftchi with no warning in June 2009. This resulted in Kendrick taking Neftchi Baku to CAS over unpaid wages and winning.

On 16 July 2009, Joe Kendrick signed for Sligo Rovers in the League of Ireland. Rovers finished runners-up in the FAI Ford Cup Final with Kendrick on the team.

In 2010 he re-signed for Drogheda United. He made his second debut for the club on 5 March 2010 in a 3–0 loss against UCD at United Park. His first goal in his second spell at Drogheda came from a penalty in a 2–2 draw against Dundalk.

In February 2011 he signed for Bray Wanderers.

In July 2011 it was reported that he had signed for Mansfield Town on a reported one-year contract.

In early 2012 he secured a loan-deal with Blyth Spartans for the rest of the season after relocating back to the area. He then made the deal permanent in the summer of 2012.

His great uncle Joe Kendrick, Sr. was also a notable footballer and played international football for the Irish Free State during the 1920s and 1930s and also played for Everton.